Aura Unleashed
by LightandDarkAura
Summary: Rose Ketchum and Lilly Oak have always been best friends, though the same can't be said for their older brothers. After a tragic accident, Rose loses her desire to go on a Pokemon journey. But after a startling and heart breaking event in Kalos, the two girls find themselves on an adventure, learning of the world of aura, an age old prophecy, and the mysterious force of the Shadow.
1. Prologue - Part 1 - Pokemon

**The first few parts of this story will take place when Rose and Lilly are only nine, to set up the backstory of the two girls, but the main plot line will happen while they are sixteen. So they'll be acting like kids, because right now they are kids. Rose and Lilly will be much more mature once we reach the main story line.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **The prologue takes place shortly after Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak have headed out on their first journey.**

* * *

"Hey Rose, don't tell me you're still out here pouting!"

Rose Ketchum lifted up her head slowly, watching her best friend, Lilly Oak, approach her. While usually there was a bright smile on the young girl's face, today she only wore an angry frown. She turned away, not responding to Lilly's question.

They were out back in Professor Oak's ranch, where he kept both trainers' and wild Pokemon alike. None of the Pokemon approached the girls right now though, sensing a sharp tension in the air. Rose brought her knees up, staring out into the forest that was part of the ranch. Though she wasn't visibly crying, her eyes were red and puffy, showing that she had been.

Lilly plopped herself onto the grass right next to her friend, humming lightly.

"He left me," Rose muttered, tears entering her eyes. She lowered her head, her dark hair falling in front of her face.

Lilly gave her friend a small smile, "Yeah, I know how you feel. Gary left me too. And he was laughing about it," An annoyed look crossed the blonde's face, "At least your brother was somewhat sad about leaving you here while he goes on a Pokemon journey."

Rose snorted, "Ash couldn't sleep last night he was so excited to go."

Lilly's smile widened, "Do you blame him? We both know we'd be out of here in a flash if we were old enough to go on a journey!"

Rose cracked a small smile, "That's true," She giggled, but a sad look crossed her face again, "Couldn't have Ash waited a year to leave? Gotten a Pokemon, but stayed here in Pallet Town until I was old enough to go with him?"

Lilly sighed, "Then Gary would have gotten ahead of him, and you know how competitive those two get. I wish they'd get along like us!"

"Yeah..." Rose sighed, looking off in the distance.

"Oh yeah!" Lilly said, leaping to her feet, "Gramps sent me out here to get you! He says he has something to give us, something that will cheer us up!"

Rose looked up at her doubtfully, "The only thing that can cheer me up is if Ash came back."

Lilly seized her friend's hand, dragging her to her feet, "Come on! We can at least see what it is! Besides, I can't get it unless you come too!"

Rose sighed, "...Fine..." She muttered, and the two girls took off running towards the Pokemon lab.

* * *

"Hey Gramps!" Lilly called loudly as they entered the lab, "I got Rose in here, finally! What did you want to give us?"

The older Pokemon professor turned, smiling at the two young girls, "Something special, and very important. Now I understand that you two girls are feeling down because your brothers left for their Pokemon journey-"

"Upset?" Lilly cried, "No way! I'm glad Gary is gone, now I get my own room!"

Professor Oak held back a laugh, but it quickly faded as he watched Rose's face fall. He gave her a sad smile, and continued talking, "And with your brothers gone, while you still have each other, it might become a bit lonesome," He looked at Rose, "Now I spoke with your mother about this, so there is so need to worry. Technically you two aren't old enough for this, but I was able to pull a few strings with the league because of my job."

"Pull a few strings with what?" Lilly asked excitedly, bouncing up and down.

Professor Oak pulled two Pokeballs from his pocket, "These two Pokemon have been licenced as pet Pokemon under mine and Delia's name. They may battle for you in self defense, but other than that they will only be companions for you to play with. Once you get your battle license at age ten they will be transferred to your account."

The two girls stared at Professor Oak, "No way," Lilly said slowly, "You got us _Pokemon?!"_

"Like I said they are only pets-" He sighed as his granddaughter let out a loud squeal of excitement, then he gave a small smile, "Yes Lilly, they are Pokemon."

"Ohmygosh!" Lilly cried.

Even Rose looked excited, though obviously the sadness of her brother's departure was still fresh in her mind, "T-thank you professor!" She stuttered out.

He held out the two Pokeballs, "Lilly, this Pokemon came from a friend in mine in Unova, Cedric. They are very rare, so please take good care of her," He set the first Pokeball in her hands, and another loud cry of excitement filled the room. The professor turned towards Rose, "I know you were very close to your brother, so I thought this little guy would make you feel closer to him while he's away. He is the cousin of the Pokemon I gave your brother."

Rose took the second Pokeball out of the professor's hand. She looked at it for a moment, awe spreading across her face, then she gave her first real smile since Ash had left, "Thank you so much Mr. Oak!"

"Yeah, thank you Gramps!" Lilly chirped, then turned towards Rose, "Let's go look at them, come on come on!"

Professor Oak smiled as the two girls ran out of his lab, holding the Pokeballs like they had been given the world itself, "Those Pokemon are more than just companionship," He whispered quietly, "Now with the boys gone you need one more person to keep an eye on you, your safety is vitally important, more that you two know."

* * *

"Hurry up Rose!" Lilly cried impatiently as her friend slowly made her way down the back deck, staring at the Pokeball in her hand in awe. Lilly was already down on the grass, jumping about in excitement, "I want to meet my new Pokemon!"

Rose joined Lilly on the lawn, turning the Pokeball slowly in her hands, processing the gift she had just been given.

"Come on out whatever you are!" Rose threw the Pokeball up into the air, and a flash of white light emerged from the sphere. The light began to mold into shape of an unrecognizable Pokemon. The white light vanished in a split second, leaving a small creature in its wake. Rose fell to her knees and let out a small sob.

Lilly let out a happy squeal, "I choose you!" She cried, pressing the button on the center of the Pokeball. The sphere expanded in her hand, then opened up with a flash of white light. She let out yet another joyful squeal as she watched a slim creature take shape.

Rose stared at the creature in front of her, trying to hold back her tears as her thoughts turned to her brother, "Pichu chu?" Asked the small mouse Pokemon as he looked at the crying girl in worry.

"Sni-vee?" The green Pokemon chirped as she was released in front of Lilly, blinking her deep brown eyes. The Snivy barely had time to look around at her surroundings before a loud squeal filled the air from Lilly. The Snivy flinched, jumping back.

"I miss him," Cried Rose thinking of the stubborn Pikachu her brother had tried to show off to her before he had left. Pichu ran up to her and wiped her tears away, letting out apologetic whimpers, wondering what was wrong. Rose studied the small Pokemon, the Pichu had bright coppery eyes and a little tuft of fur on his head.

" _Ohmygosh!"_ Lilly exclaimed as Rose let out another small cry. Lilly didn't notice though, absorbed by the sleek grass type in front of her, "I can't believe it! Gramps got me a Snivy! He got me a Snivy, oh my gosh, I can't believe it!"

Rose looked for Lilly for comfort but Lilly's smile was gleaming, it made Rose smile a little and thought of all the adventures that would await her and her new friend.

Lilly scooped up the grass type, holding the Snivy up in the air, "Vee!" The Snivy cried, startled as she was brought into a sudden embrace.

"I freaking love Snivys!" Lilly cried, "Oh my gosh I can't believe Gramps managed to get one all the way over here to Kanto!" She looked at the Snivy closely, "He said he got you from a guy named Cedric or something, was he from Unova, right? So are you from Unova?" She bombarded the little snake with questions, "I love Unova, it's my favorite place ever! Though I've never been… I'm sure I'd love it though!"

"Sni…" Snivy squirmed in Lilly's grip.

Rose looked at Pichu, he was looking at her with wide eyes. "Pichu, lets travel together and see the world with Lilly and her new found friend at our side," She said, trying to look forward to when they would be old enough to travel with Ash. The thought of a journey brought a smile to her face, and she looked up at Lilly.

"Lilly, let's battle!" Rose had a grin on her face, she knew that Professor Oak would get mad but her mind was set, she always wanted to be a Pokemon trainer, why not start early!

Lilly paused, "... But Gramps said no battling unless it was for protection…" For a moment there wasn't hyper look on her face, but a small flash of worry about going against what her grandfather had said.

"Forget the rules," Rose giggled, "It's only for fun," Rose knew it would be the only way to take her mind off of Ash. Ash had been her world, her idol. With him gone.. It hurt, and she hoped this new Pokemon of hers could numb that pain.

"But if Gramps finds out…" Lilly shuddered, "You know his punishments, cleaning out the Pokemon stalls… Sorting all his files and papers... stuff like that!" She gripped the small Snivy closer, who lashed out harder.

"Forget about him for a moment, Professor won't have a massive go at us. He's your Grandad he's always bound to worry. But we have the protection of the lab, it's not like we are doing it in the forest or somewhere," Rose said, "Let's battle and don't worry about the consequences. Remember we are only nine… He'll be easy on us..." Rose wasn't sure, the Professor was kind, but stern. But she craved the idea of a battle, the thought of being able to get her mind off of Ash.

Lilly looked down at the Snivy in her arms, a grin spreading once more across her face. All worry vanished as the thought of a real Pokemon battle took root in her mind. Gary had always been so sassy, and she could beat up his Squirtle if her Snivy was strong! She looked up at Rose, grin widening, "You're on!" She cried, "Go Snivy!" She set the grass type on the ground, taking up a dramatic battle pose. The Snivy looked across at the Pichu uncertainly.

"Okay come on Pichu, let's do this," cried Rose, Pichu took his place ready for battle. "I'll go first," Rose grinned, the excitement rose her first ever Pokemon battle, "Pichu use Thundershock!"

Pichu's checks began to spark as his gathered his electricity, drawing the power he needed for the attack. He jumped into the air and released the attack, zapping Snivy, Snivy fell backwards, cringing, but slowly got back to her feet, looking only mildly worn.

"Hehe~" Lilly grinned, "Electric types moves aren't very effective against grass types!" She paused, "At least that's what Gary said…" She shook her head, "Whatever, Snivy, use- um… Vine Whip!" She glanced at the Snivy, "I know Bulbasaurs can learn Vine Whip… and you're a grass type starter like them…"

The Snivy closed her eyes, sighing, then darted forwards with startling speed. She spun around, and two vines grew from her neck, and she slammed them against the small Pichu, sending the electric mouse flying back, "Vee!" She cried.

"Pichu no!" Rose said in horror as her Pichu flew past her. Snivy hadn't held back, "We aren't going to let them beat us… umm… use… use-" Rose stuttered, unsure of what attacks her new Pokemon knew.

Pichu began to sprint toward Snivy with shocking speed, "Is that Quick Attack? Pichu can't learn that!" Yellow light began to form around the Pokemon as he continued his sprint towards the grass snake, cheeks sparking as he surrounded himself in a crackling current of electricity.

Snivy's eyes widened in surprise as the powerful Volt Tackle came right at her. She stumbled to the side, trying to dodge, but the Pichu slammed into her, knocking both of them to the ground, sending them rolling through the grass.

"Snivy!" Lilly cried, but the small grass type just laid limply in the grass next to the Pichu. Both Pokemon were young, and didn't have nearly as much strength as battle Pokemon. Neither Pokemon stirred, fainted from the attack. Lilly blinked, "How did Pichu get defeated, Snivy didn't knock him out!"

"Volt Tackle has recoil you know?" A deep voice chuckled, "That is why both of your Pokemon are knocked out, Pichu took damage from his own attack," Said a man in the background, "It is a very risky move to use, but powerful."

Both girls jumped, turning around as they realized that Professor Oak was standing on the porch of the lab, leaning against the railing, a cup of tea in his hand. He smiled as he watched the girls' eyes widened as they realized that their battle hadn't gone unnoticed.

"G-gramps!" Lilly yelped.

Professor Oak took a sip of his tea, "If you had wanted to keep your little battle a secret then perhaps you shouldn't have yelled about it right outside my lab. I heard you two loud and clear."

"W-we're sorry Professor!" Rose cried, "We were just having a little fun, to see what it was like to be a Pokemon trainer"

"Recall your Pokemon and bring them into the lab so I can heal them up," He said, the two girls shared a nervous glance, knowing that you didn't just simply walk into an adult's place after disobeying. Professor Oak waved a hand dismissively, laughing, "Relax you two, it wasn't that hard to guess that you would find a way to battle if I gave you Pokemon. I know you two like the back of my hand!"

* * *

"Now you two," Professor Oak said, setting the two Pokeballs on a healing machine. The machine began to glow as it sent energy waves that mimicked a Heal Pulse move into the Pokeballs, "No more battles, and I'm serious this time. I understand that it was hard to resist when I first handed you your Pokemon, but now you have had that opportunity. Remember that they are living creatures, not tools. Befriend your Pokemon, grow close with them."

"Yes sir!" Lilly and Rose replied in unison, giving each other a look, both knowing that they would find another time to battle.

Professor Oak sighed, handing the two Pokeballs back to the girls, "And be careful, they are still young. So don't go wandering into a situation where they won't be able to defend you. Stay on my ranch if you want to go exploring, and don't leave Pallet Town."

"Don't worry about a thing Gramps!" Lilly chirped, releasing her Snivy, "You can trust us!"

He raised an eyebrow as Rose let out her small Pichu, scooping him up, "Really? Because your actions so far today have said otherwise."

Lilly shuffled her feet, "Well... you obviously trust us, or else you wouldn't have out any Pokemon in our care!"

He sighed, "That's true..." He muttered, "That's true..." A phone started ringing from somewhere deeper in the lab, and the Professor looked up, "I'll need to take that, if you'll excuse me you two."

Lilly knelt down in front of her Snivy, who glared at her coldly, only making the small girl grin, "You're awesome," She said, blue eyes gleaming, "And you're just not any Snivy, you're _my_ Snivy. So you deserved to be called more than that, I'm going to give you a name!"

"Sni...?" Snivy asked uncertainly.

Lilly sat down, thinking, "Hmm... It needs to be awesome, just like you... Sni...vy..." Lilly said slowly, thinking, "Sni... I... I... Ivy!" She cried, leaping to her feet, "That's it, I'll call you Ivy! You are a grass type, and Ivy is a plant! And it's in your name too, it's perfect!"

"Vee..." The Snivy muttered, looking over at the Pichu, who had happily climbed onto Rose's shoulder. The newly named Ivy seemed less than impressed with the nine year old's naming skills.

Lilly scooped up her new grass type proudly, "Welcome to the team, Ivy!"

Rose glanced at the Pichu on her shoulder, "Ash didn't give his Pikachu a nickname..." She said quietly, "So I dunno..."

"Chu?" The Pichu asked, blinking his eyes.

"Well, your Pichu is going to evolve," Lilly said, "Isn't it? Then it would be really confusing with two Pikachus running around and no way to tell them apart!"

Rose hesitated, "True... Um..." She studied her Pichu carefully, "Hmm... You are going to be a Pikachu one day, and since the professor gave me you to help remind me of Ash, I guess your name should reflect that, so how about... Pika? So when I'll look at you I'll always remember Ash and his Pikachu?"

Pika the Pichu let out a small happy cry, "Pichupichu!" He cooed happily, nuzzling Rose. The dark haired girl smiled, hugging the small electric type close.

Ash may be gone for now, but she had a new best friend to be with now.

* * *

A Leafeon sat perched up in a tree, watching as the two girls followed the old man into the human building. The Leafeon's claws curled in anger, upset that he had allowed himself to be brought this close to humans. A large scar ran down his back, webbing out around his back left hip. The ridged scar was visible under his white fur, a soft red standing out against his unusually pale fur.

He twitched his tail in annoyance. Like his fur, ever leaf-like appendage was colored differently from a normal Leafeon. His leaves were colored a deep lapis blue, which gleamed in the sunlight that shone through the trees. He turned, his dark blue eyes hardening.

'Those two?' He asked, 'Sorry, but I'm not impressed. You must have made a mistake.'

'Hehe~' A Meowth giggled, sitting right behind him. She looked like a regular Meowth, except for her tail, feet, and ears were tipped bright pink, 'Trust me, there is no mistake. Those two are the ones,' She blinked her bright blue eyes, 'Remember, they are young right now.'

'And annoying,' The Leafeon replied, 'They treated those two Pokemon like they were brand new toys,' He shook in a rage, 'I'm not trusting younglings to them!'

He turned, jumping as the shiny Meowth suddenly appeared in front of him with a flash of light. She looked at him sternly, 'They are children at the moment,' She said sharply, 'Give them time and they'll mature. Keep in mind that children are very selfish creatures.'

' _Humans_ are selfish creatures!' He snapped back, turning again, with the intent of climbing down the tree, but once again the Meowth was in front of the blue Leafeon.

'Selfish or not, we depend on them,' The Meowth replied sharply, 'While I understand why you are hesitant, I do not have time to argue. I have many things to do, but I will be back to your home in a few years, when the eggs are laid,' She watched him, seeing if the Leafeon would protest. He gritted his teeth, but allowed her to continue, 'I'll be back when they hatch as well, and when it's time I'll be taking them with me.'

'Then handing them over to filthy humans!' The Leafeon snarled, sending Pidgeys flying into the air.

The Meowth glared at him, eyes glowing pink, 'I wouldn't fight with me,' She said quietly, 'You, your family, and your ancestors have been blessed with my powers. I have given you a haven far from humans, like you wished. All I ask for is two hatchlings every thousand years, is that too much to ask for? For two hatchlings that will have the opportunity to help protect our world?'

The Leafeon turned away, 'Take me then,' He said, 'Not my unborn siblings. Let them live a life without humans or battles, let me be the one to go can h-help the h-humans.'

'You know they must be young. Their energy needs to sync with the humans they will be protecting. Yours won't do that,' The Meowth's gaze softened, 'It's not just helping humans Leafeon, it's helping both humans and Pokemon alike. They will be heros.'

The blue Leafeon turned to look at the Meowth, 'But you cannot guarantee their safety.'

She looked away, 'No. I cannot,' She hesitated, 'The last two survived though.'

'And then forever remained by their human's side,' The Leafeon finished bitterly. He sat down, claws digging up bark, eyes clouded with conflict. Finally after a minute he winced, closing his eyes. He sighed, then turned to look at the Meowth, 'Can you promise me something?'

'Depends,' The Meowth replied, blue eyes shining curiously.

He took a deep breath, 'I want to see them before _it_ happens. I want the opportunity to see them, to let them see their home and family before fate sweeps them up. I want to see them once they have evolved, and... I want the chance to say goodbye.'

'Like I said they could survive-'

He cut her off, 'They survive and believe that the humans are where they belong, or they die. No matter what I'll never see them again after you take them,' He looked at the Meowth, eyes begging, 'So please, let me and my siblings see them one more time after you take them, please!' His voice went quiet, 'Please let me see my littlest siblings one more time...'

The shiny Meowth couldn't help but smile, placing a paw on the blue Leafeon's shoulder, 'I've always admired your dedication to your family. And right now I am admiring your love for two hatchlings whose eggs haven't even been laid yet. So yes,' She said, 'I'll find away to let you see them one more time.'

The Leafeon bowed his head, 'Thank you, m'lady, thank you so much,' He looked up at the Meowth, 'I hope- I hope you are right, and that those humans will change. I hope they will be good to my future siblings. I should go now... You know how I am around humans...'

The Meowth nodded, 'Of course.'

'Abra!' Leafeon called, raising his voice, 'Abra, let's go!'

An Abra appeared in a flash of white light behind the Leafeon, stumbling as he tried to stay balanced on the tree branch, 'Y-yes sir! I'll take you right back to the ravine sir!' He placed a hand on the Leafeon's blue tail, and he nodded at the Meowth, 'Goodbye, m'lady! Safe journey!'

'Same to you,' The Meowth said, watching as the Abra began to glow, teleporting him and the Leafeon away. Meowth turned, watching the lab and the two small girls inside. Her eyes began to glow pink, 'They will be safe as long as they remain here in Pallet town, now for the boys... I hope Ho-oh kept her promise and checked up on them...'

With that the pink tipped Meowth glowed, teleporting away, leaving the tree empty, gently swaying in the wind.

* * *

 **First of all, yes we know Meowths can't learn Teleport, there's more to this Meowth than what meets the eye.**

 **So ends the prologue, part one. Part two of the prologue will be up soon, then we'll move into chapter one and the main story line! Thank you for reading and a review is always apprenticed!  
**

 **Every time** **a new Pokemon is added to the party we'll put a small bio down here:**

Ivy:  
Species: Snivy  
Gender: Female  
Nature: Serious  
Characteristic: Strong willed  
Favorite Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Twister, Attract  
Ability: Overgrow

Pika:  
Species: Pichu  
Gender: Male  
Nature: Naive  
Characteristic: Likes to run  
Favorite Moves: Volt Tackle, Thundershock, Charge, Tail Whip  
Ability: Lightning Rod


	2. Prologue - Part 2 - Goodbye

***Note, since we authors both live in different countries, we spell some words differently from each other, so in our stories you'll find both Mom/Mum, Center/Centre, Color/Colour, realized/realised, etc. It just depends on who wrote what part. So be prepared for a variety of spellings.**

 ***The Meowth from last chapter is now shiny. (Looks like a regular Meowth except with pink ears, tail, and feet.)**

 ***** \- "Dialogue written like this," **Is human speech/Pokemon sounds. Humans and Pokemon understand this.**

\- 'Dialogue like this is Pokemon speech,' **Pokemon understand this, human only hear Pokemon noises.**

\- _Dialogue like this,_ **Is telepathy or someone's thoughts. Only who's thinking/who the telepathy is directed at can understand this.**

* * *

"Ivy, quick, use Twister!"

"Vee!" The small Snivy darted forward, releasing the purple mass of energy swirling from around her hands at the herd of Tauros. The Tauros snorted, all of them stamping their feet in displeasure as the dragon type move hit them. Ivy summoned her Vine Whip attack, cracking them against the ground, trying to get the stubborn Pokemon to move.

Lilly sighed, tapping her feet impatiently, "Why did Ash have to catch thirty of these things?"

Ivy let out a small growl in agreement. The bull Pokemon had figured out that they could jump higher than the fence, and enjoyed escaping from their paddock when they got bored, which was often. The professor didn't have time to get taller fences, so instead she and Lilly got the pleasant job of herding them back into their pen, "Sni!" She cried at the Tauros, begging them to get moving.

Finally the leader of the herd snorted, having enough of being pestered by Lilly and Ivy, and trotted back towards his paddock. Lilly leaned against the fence with a huge sigh of relief as the rest of the herd followed. She quickly counted them as they passed through the gate, slamming it shut as number thirty past through. Lilly panted, giving her Snivy a huge smile.

"Not much longer now," She said, "I'll be ten in just a month, then we'll be out of here! Out on a journey, no more stupid ranch work, but gym badges for the both of us!"

"Vee!" Ivy chirped, gym battles sounding much more appealing than the ranch chores Lilly was assigned to do. Lilly had learned the hard way that having Gary gone wasn't the best thing, since many of his jobs had fallen into her hands.

It had been nearly a year since Gary and Ash had left on their journey, and nearly a year since she had received Ivy. Though the duo hadn't gotten off on the best start, Ivy had soon grown use to her future trainer's... enthusiasm for things. Lilly had soon become aware that her Snivy enjoyed a bit of space and quiet, and had done her best to respect that. Though it had taken some time, Ivy had decided that this human was a good friend, and would be just as good as a trainer.

"Hey Lilly!"

"Pichupi!"

Lilly looked up, a smile spreading across her face as she watched Rose approach. Perched up on her shoulder was her small Pichu, who was waving both paws excitedly. The girl and the electric type were inseparable, both quickly bonding in just a short amount of time. Pika never wandered off anywhere unless Rose was in line of his sight, and Rose was never quite relaxed unless Pika was by her side. While not replacing her close bond she had with her brother, Ash, the Pichu was able to fill the emptiness that Ash had created when he had left on his journey.

"Hey Rose," Lilly said, "What's up."

Rose had a huge smile spread across her face, "Ash called today," She said, and Lilly nodded in understanding. A call from her brother would always make Rose's day, but the smile on her face seemed to suggest that wasn't all.

"And...?" Lilly asked, knowing that there was more.

"He's almost to Viridian City, he's going to be fighting there for his last badge," Rose said, "The professor said Gary would be battling there soon as well."

"Well," Lilly said as Ivy climbed up onto the fence, hopping onto Lilly's shoulder, smiling at Pichu, "They better swing by here, I want to see that idiotic brother of mine. And I know both you and Ms. Ketchum would have a breakdown if Ash didn't stop by if he was that close to home."

"Ash says he plans on visiting soon," Rose said, and she looked away slightly, "You know... Viridian is just the next town over... It'd be neat if we could go watch their last gym battles..."

Lilly ran a hand down Ivy's back, making the small Snivy chirp in pleasure, "Now that would be fun," She sounded like she didn't believe that it would happen, "A change in pace around here would be nice. Nothing exciting has really happened since they've left," She glanced at her Snivy, "Except you guys of course."

"Vee!" Ivy cried happily.

"Chu!" Pika cooed, climbing onto Rose's head. His cheeks sparked happily, proud of the climb. Rose gently picked him up, bringing him into a hug.

"But I'm serious," Rose said, "We should go to Viridian to watch their last gym battle!"

Lilly raised an eyebrow, "What about Gramps? He freaks out if I follow him out onto route one when he has his _Dragonite_ with him! There's no way he's let me leave Pallet Town, even if it was to the next city!" Lilly looked away, "And I doubt that Delia would let you leave before we're trainers after what happened to our fathers..." Lilly trailed off quietly, and Ivy looked up at her curiously, tilting her head to one side.

They sat in silence for a moment, before Rose spoke up again, "I know, but this is our last chance to see our brothers earn a Kanto badge! Don't you want to see them in a battle?"

Lilly considered the possibility carefully and a smile crossed her face, "If we could go watch their battles that would be awesome, and it's not like we're tiny kids any more, we'll be trainers in just about a month anyways!"

Their faces lit up as the thought of becoming a trainer entered their minds. Rose looked down at the small Pichu in her arms, "We're almost there Pika! Soon we'll be traveling the world together!"

The small Pichu's eyes got wide with excitement. He looked up at Rose, a huge smile on his face, "Pichupi!"

"But back to the main problem, they'd never let us leave Pallet! They've never taken us out of this small town," Lilly said, "I've never see Gramps as mad as when we'd try to sneak out of Pallet when we were younger. Even your mom, who _never_ gets mad, always got real upset with us if we tried to leave," Lilly shook her head, "They act like us leaving would be the end of the world."

"So what if they won't let us!" Rose cried, "We can just sneak out or something, they wouldn't see it coming! We haven't tried to sneak out in years, and like you said, we'll be old enough in a month, so why not now?"

Lilly hesitated, usually she wasn't one to cross her grandfather, but like with her first battle back when they got their Pokemon, Lilly couldn't resist bending the rules with Rose if she saw a good reason, at least a good reason in their eyes.

"Well..." Lilly muttered, "Ash's Tauros herd got back into their pen sooner than usual, so Gramps probably won't come looking for me for a bit, and it's still earlier morning, so if we hurry..."

Rose got a huge grin, "My mother is talking with your grandpa right now, so let's leave while they're distracted."

Lilly glanced at the Tauros pen, nodding, "Yeah. Let's cut through the forest on the ranch, they're less likely to see us there."

The two girls took off running into the small forest, and Ivy shared a glance with Pika. Professor Oak had personally requested them to protect the girls and to keep them out of trouble, but she was just as sick of being stuck in Pallet Town as Lilly and Rose were. She and Pika were strong, they'd protect the girls from any trouble on this quick little adventure.

Besides, what was the worse thing that could happen?

* * *

'This place is ever so dark,' Pika said to Ivy, the thick tree coverage had created an eerie darkness in the forest, cloaking it in shadow despite it being high noon. The Pokemon felt uncomfortable as they traveled deeper, but the desire to protect the girls was stronger.

'You bet,' Ivy muttered back. The forest on the professor's land was brightly lit and was a nice place to be, this forest only gave off a dark feeling, 'I don't remember a thick forest being like this on route 1... At least according on the maps Oak always had out...'

'It feels like something is about to happen,' Pika said, fearing the worst. Ivy gave him a glance.

'Never say that,' Ivy quickly snapped back.

"Um..." Lilly said, looking around, "Do you have any idea where we are? This forest doesn't remind me of anything on the maps in Gramps lab. The only forest like on them this is the Viridian Forest, but that's _after_ Viridian City, we haven't passed any sort of city or town."

"But we went off the path, maybe somehow we have gone past it, in the darkness," Rose said hearing her own echo, "This place is giving me the chills"

Ivy considered the human's words, then glanced at Pika, 'Do you think we went around Viridian City and ended up in the forest? You're from Viridian Forest, right?'

'I am,' He muttered, 'And I'm afraid that we are in Viridian Forest…' Pika confirmed, 'We should turn back and try to find the trail.'

"Don't worry you two," Lilly said, cuddling her Snivy, "I'm sure Viridian City is just up ahead!"

'I wish the humans could understand us,' Ivy muttered, but all the girls heard was a series of, "Snivy vee sni!"

Pika kept shaking his head trying to make the girls understand, but Rose shrugged the thought off, she listened to everything Lilly was saying as they only pressed deeper into the forest, farther from the main trail.

"Mew!" A sharp, high pitched call echoed through the quiet forest, making the two girls and Pokemon jump at the sound.

"What was that?" Rose whispered, she looked at Lilly, who knew more about Pokemon from living with the professor.

"I- I don't know..." Lilly muttered, "N-no feline Pokemon l-live around here..."

The girls caught a flash of something pink darting through the lower hanging branches, as if something had been flying by. They all jumped again, Pika quickly scurrying up onto Rose's head, while Ivy scanned the tree line nervously. There was no more sounds or movements.

They began to shake, "Is something watching us?" Rose asked, "I feel like we're movie or something..."

"It's pink," Lilly muttered, taking a few hesitant steps ahead, "A-according to the research Gramps did p-pink Pokemon usually possess more caring and motherly natures... Like Chansey... or Clefable... or Audino..." She fell silent, since none of those Pokemon matched the description of what they just briefly saw.

"Is it a new Pokemon?" Rose questioned.

Lilly shook her head, the researcher in her taking over, "Probably not, the chances are very unlikely, maybe it's one of those shinies Gramps talks or a Pokemon a trainer released, so it wouldn't be native here. Let's go check it out," She took a few steps forward, fear gone, eyes gleaming with interest at the possibilities

"Maybe we should stay back," Rose said nervously, "It's too fast for a normal Pokemon you would expect to see in the forests, it could be dangerous," Rose looked around at the trees to try to catch another glimpse of the Pokemon.

Lilly pressed through the thick underbrush, trying to spot the bright pink Pokemon once more. Ivy chittered nervously on her shoulder, not quite as eager as her trainer.

"Meow!" A voice cried as Lilly stumbled into a small clearing, with the same high pitched voice as before. Lilly looked around eagerly, eyes scanning around until they made contact with a slim, cream colored creature. It's feet, ears, and tail were all tipped with pink.

The creature was a feline, "What Pokemon is that?" Rose asked Lilly. It looked familiar, but Rose hadn't been out of Pallet town and had only seen the Pokemon at Professor Oak's lab.

"It's a Meowth," Lilly muttered, "They're pretty common around cities. I've only seen pictures though, Gramps doesn't have one at his lab."

"Oh, It's a strange looking Pokemon," Rose said, recognition flashing in her eyes. She had seen a picture of it before too, now that she thought about it, but the pink on it just didn't look right on it. The feline looked upset, staring at them.

'Hello!' Ivy chirped to the Meowth, who was watching the two girls in shock, her blue eyes wide in surprise, 'Do you know the way to Viridian City by chance?'

'What are they doing out...' The Meowth muttered quickly, 'What are they doing...' She sounded panicked.

'Do you know them?' Pika asked, as he looked at the Meowth 'They can do what they please… we are protecting them!' He puffed out his chest proudly, and Meowth looked at Pika and Ivy with a stern face.

'No they cannot!' She replied sharply, and the hair on her back rose, 'Take them back to Pallet, _now!'_ She hissed.

The two girls stumbled back, "Heh... I don't think she's too happy... Must have been abandoned or something..." Lilly muttered, only hearing hissing and snarls from the cat-like Pokemon.

"Maybe we should leave, I think she looks like she is going to attack us…" Rose said, watching the Meowth as she hissed. This wasn't the time to be picking fights.

Lilly nodded in agreement, glancing at Ivy, "Only attack if she does first," She muttered to the grass type, backing away slowly. The Meowth watched them, her tail twitching angrily.

"Same for you Pika," Rose whispered "Let's leave…" Pika nodded, he did not want to be in the presence of the Meowth any longer.

'Get them back there, now!' The Meowth snarled at Pika and Ivy, then jumped out of the trees and onto the ground, racing away into the forest without another word.

The two girls let out a small sigh of relief, continuing onto the forest. They were surprised by how little amount of the Pokemon they saw, they had always heard that off the trails was were all the Pokemon were, and they were _far_ off the main path. Silence hung in the air, as if a constant presence was watching them. Minutes passed as they pressed on in silence, neither daring to say was they both were thinking until finally Rose let out a small sigh.

"We're lost," Rose said.

"Maybe we should have stayed on the path, better getting caught than getting lost like this..." Lilly muttered. What had seemed like a bright adventure back at the lab now seemed dim and dangerous.

"Next time we will!" Rose let out a nervous giggle. Rose looked up into the trees, and she quickly covered her mouth to stop a small surprised scream from escaping her mouth. Lilly threw her a confused glanced, and Rose gulped, "Lilly..." She whimpered quietly, "Look up... and please don't scream..." Lilly raised an eyebrow, but slowly looked up, letting out a small gasp.

A horde of Kakuna was asleep above them, each dangling from a thick String Shot attack. They blew gently in the wind, their hard shells clinking against each other. While there was only a few Weedle and its evolutions at Oak's Lab, both girls have heard plenty of stories about the aggression of the Beedrill line.

"O-okay..." Lilly gulped, "Let's just back up slowly, no noise now..." She stumbled back a few steps, eyes still glued to Kakuna covering the tree tops. Ivy, who was on her shoulder, glanced behind them, eyes widening. Suddenly two vines shot out of her neck, the Vine Whip attack quickly wrapping around a nearby tree, stopping hers and Lilly's retreat, "Ivy!" She cried, suppressing a small yelp from the sudden stop, then she turned around, "Oh my gosh!" Lilly screamed.

Rose turned as well, eyes widening, realizing that Ivy had just saved Lilly from a long fall into a huge gorge. Her feet were only a step away from the cliff slide, one more and they'd be falling into the deep ravine. The two girls stumbled forward away from the cliff's edge, only to stop as they heard a small hum.

Suddenly a bright glow engulfed the forest as dozens of Kakuna awakened, eyes gleaming angrily. Then each Kakuna entire body began to glow with a harsh white light. Rose's and Lilly's eyes widened as they slowly watched the Kakuna began to take a new form, huge wings sprouting from their backs, and legs forming from within the shells. They closed their eyes, along with the Pokemon as the mass of Kakuna slowly began to evolve, the light blinding them. The light died down, and a thick hum filled the air.

Lilly dared to open her eyes, "Oh no..." She muttered, watch a swarm of very angry Beedrills take form. Rose cracked open one eye, letting out a high pitched whimper. Ivy and Pika leapt down from their trainers, standing in front of them perfectly. With the cliff on one side and the Beedrill on the other, they were cornered.

'Intruders! Intruders!' The Beedrill hummed angrily, 'Interrupted evolving day! Interrupted evolving day!'

Pika's cheeks began to spark, 'We don't want a fight, let us pass.'

'Intruders! Intruders!' The swarm hummed together, 'Attack! Attack!'

The Beedrill raised their forearms, which were tipped with a huge powerful stinger. A half dozen darted forward, the tips of the stingers glowing a deep purple with a Poison Sting attack. Lilly and Rose flinched, and their Pokemon sprang into battle.

Pika released a Thundershock, the electric type move hitting several of the Beedrill. Ivy summoned her Vine Whip, slapping them against the incoming Beedrill. While Ivy's attack barely did anything to the bug and poison types, the force of her attack was able to knock the Beedrill off course, and they circled back around into the swarm.

While it was two against a few dozen, the Pichu and the Snivy managed to hold off the swarm for a little bit without taking any damage. The Beedrill were all recently evolved, and weren't yet use to their new mobile forms and wings. The bug types hadn't yet seemed to figure out that they could easily overwhelm them if they all attacked at once, nor have them seemed to realize how they could use flying to their advantage. They only would fly straight at them from one direction, a few at a time, then retreat back into the swarm. Ivy and Pika kept releasing Twisters and Thundershocks, but the Beedrill never permanently backed off. They glanced at each other, huffing.

'Stop!' The Beedrills hummed, 'Knock them down,' Their stingers glowed blue with a Twineedle attack, three attacking at once from different directions right at Pika, the main threat.

Ivy summoned her Vine Whip, knocking one away, and Pika released a Thundershock at the other two. The one that Ivy knocked away through didn't fly away like the others though, but instead turned to attack Ivy.

"Vee!" She let out a cry of pain as the Beedrill's stingers quickly were jabbed into her side twice, knocking her back. She quickly sprang back to her feet, but the Beedrill had already turned on Pika, hitting him with a Poison Sting while he was distracted. By the time Ivy hit him with a Twister and Pika with a Thundershock to chase him off, more Beedrill from the swarm had gathered around them, quickly realizing that they outnumbered the Pichu and Snivy, and could overwhelm them with their larger numbers.

"Meow!" A familiar high pitched voice cried, and a psychic blast came from behind the Beedrill. The bug types temporally scattered, allowing a sleek cream and pink Meowth dash forward towards the girls and the struggling Pokemon. The Meowth's charm gleamed pink, releasing another Psywave towards the Beedrill surrounding Ivy and Pika. They let out a screech as the psychic attack hit them, stingers holding their heads in pain.

The shiny Meowth spread out her claws, drenching them in a shadowy energy, slashing at the Beedrill. The Shadow Claw sliced at their thin skin, making them all quickly flee back into the safety of their swarm. The Meowth landed in front of the Snivy, Pikachu, and the two girls. She stood in front of them protectively, hissing at the Beedrill.

'You're that Meowth from before!' Ivy cried.

She looked back at them cooly, her blue eyes gleaming in anger, 'Yes, and I told you two to get the girls back to Pallet. Instead you've lead them deep into Beedrill territory, into a part of the forest that trainers rarely encounter,' She turned her eyes back to the Beedrill, 'And if these were normal Beedrilll, I could handle them with no problem. But of course they've been infected...' The fur on her back raised, and she released another Psywave at them.

For one little Meowth, the attack did a lot, causing some of the Beedrill to fall to the ground, letting out hisses. The rest of the swarm simply pressed closer.

'And what reason did we have to listen to a random Meowth?!' Ivy cried, 'You nearly gave us a heart attack back there!'

'What do you mean by "infected"?' Pika asked, glancing at the Beedrill. That's when the electric type noticed that these Beedrill looked different. He had been born and raised here in the Viridian Forest, but never had he seen Beedrill quite like these.

Instead of bright ruby red eyes, these Beedrills' eyes were a dark black. They lacked a bright yellow coloring, but instead had a pale sandy-colored body. Their wings were a deep gray, and their stingers looked like they had been dipped in tar. The Meowth was right, it looked like the Beedrill had been "infected" with a disease or something. But the bug types didn't look sick, in fact, they looked even fiercer.

'When they're infected with the Shadow's power there isn't much I can do myself,' The Meowth said, 'No more than this form will let me, and I'm afraid Meowths aren't know for their strength. I'll see what I can do, but when it comes to protecting the girls all of my energy resides inside of Pallet's border,' The pink Meowth lowered herself into a charging position, 'They're regrouping, get ready you two. Ranged attacks work the best,' Her charm glowed with psychic energy.

Ivy still didn't trust this strange Meowth, but having help with this swarm wasn't something she'd say no to. Ivy extended her leave-like hands, letting the purple energy of Twister swirl around them. Pika sparked his cheeks, building up an electrical charge as the Beedrill closed in.

The shiny Meowth released her Psywave, hitting a good chunk of the Beedrill. Pika and Ivy released a Thundershock and a Twister at the same time, hitting the remaining Beedrill. The Psywave did the most damage to the swarm, causing some to fall to the ground, fainted. But the Pichu and Snivy's attack did no more than bother the swarm. The Meowth twitched her nose, glancing back at the two terrified girls.

'I can't keep this up!' Pika cried in frustration, firing another Thundershock.

'Neither can I,' The Meowth said, 'It's a shame they now naturally resist my power. Not much more that I can do,' She fired one last Psywave, then turned towards the Snivy and Pichu, rearing up onto her hind legs. Her paws began to glow light pink, 'This whole area is slowly becoming infected, my powers will soon be useless here. I can't even teleport out here at the moment. I'll go see if I can get some assistance, take the last of my strength,' She fired pink energy at the two Pokemon, 'Do with it what you want.'

With that the Meowth turned, claws gleaming with Shadow Claw. She ran forward, slashing through the swarm, carving a temporally path through them for her to run through. Pika and Ivy stumbled as the pink energy hit them.

"Wait!" Lilly cried, "Please don't leave us!" She sounded panicked.

The shiny Meowth only flicked a pink ear as she ran, then she was gone. The Beedrill quickly closed the gap she had created, leaving no way for them to run. Rose took a hesitant step back, standing dangerously near the edge of the cliff.

Pika and Ivy groaned as the strange Meowth's energy rushed through them, increasing their power. They felt it winding through them, trying to find a way out. Ivy gritted her teeth as the power wove through her, and she glared at the direction that the Meowth ran off in.

'Fine then!' She spat, 'Run you coward! Maybe my future trainer isn't perfect, but she's still my friend!' Ivy raised her hands up, and a green energy began to glow around her tail. The air around the leaf on her tail began to churn, whipping around her tail as sharp leafs began to form. The Leaf Tornado swirled faster around her tail, and she swung her body around, catching half a dozen Beedrill in her new attack.

The Beedrill hovered uncertainly, not sure of what to do with the new powerful attack. Pika took a step forward, a serious look entering his eyes.

'That's right! Rose is my bestest friend ever, and I'll do anything to protect her,' He sparked his cheeks at the Beedrill, 'She brought a happiness into my life, and I won't let anyone take that from me!'

Pika suddenly became engulfed in a powerful glow, white light radiating from his body. Ivy glanced over at her friend in surprise, watching as the small Pichu began to glow, his flat ears becoming tall and thin, and his small tail growing into a longer zigzagging shape. His body began to grow in size, his frame becoming slim and muscular. When the evolutionary light faded the small Pichu was gone, now a sleek Pikachu in his place. The Beedrill drifted back uncertainly.

"...Pika?" Rose muttered, and her newly evolved Pikachu glanced back at her, his coppery eyes gleaming with determination. The childish look was gone, a confident demeanor radiating from the Pikachu. His cheeks were a glossy bright red, and his fur a deep golden yellow. There was a small tuft of fur on his head, and he turned back towards the Beedrill, darting forward.

He became encased in a silvery light, dashing towards the Beedrill with a Quick Attack. He slammed into one, then turned in his new speedy form, releasing a powerful Thundershock at the Beedrill. The Beedrill hummed angrily, looking at one another. Then the Beedrill all at once rushed forward, attacking. Pika the Pikachu released a series of Thundershocks into the swarm, while Ivy swept the area in front of the girls with her Leaf Tornado.

The Pikachu quickly became the main target, and he tried to weave his way through the Beedrills with Quick Attack, releasing Thundershock after Thundershock. A few Beedrill were on the ground, fainted, but it didn't matter with dozens more still attacking. Ivy struggled more than ever, at a horrible type disadvantage with the bug and poison types. She ran forward, Tackling a Beedrill that got too close to the humans, only for it to retaliate with a Poison Sting.

'Ugh...' Ivy muttered as her scales became tinted purple- she was poisoned. She huffed, releasing a wide ranged Twister in front of her, trying to keep the Beedrills away from the two human girls. She stumbled a bit, and the Beedrill chittered excitedly, knowing that she was becoming weaker. She fired another Leaf Tornado at a group of Beedrill at came too close, but they took the grass type move with no trouble, only flying back up into the air after being knocked down. Ivy groaned, releasing another Twister at them, taking her eyes off of Lilly and Rose for a moment.

Pika jumped back as several Twineedle attacks came at him, and he swung his tail around, knocking away a Beedrill that tried to attack him from behind. The Pikachu huffed, loving and hating his new form at the same time. He loved the speed and power his Pikachu shape brought, but Pika was struggling with the unfamiliar form. He kept mistiming his speed, not use to his new swiftness. His electrical attacks were much easier to aim and control, not to mention that they were more powerful, but he didn't' expect that every time he released a Thundershock. It kept throwing him off, since he expected to still be a small clumsy Pichu.

The long tail was useful though, providing nice balance, and it acted like a club for any Pokemon attack from behind. He swung it side to side, distracting the Beedrill with the Tail Whip attack as he powered up another Thundershock with Charge. The Beedrill groaned as the electrical attack hit, paralyzing a few of them. Pika let out a sigh of relief, he didn't know Thunder Wave nor did he have the ability Static, so the paralysis was a nice surprise. He turned to another group of Beedrill, glowing as he used Charge again. Pika's cheeks sparked as he fired another Thundershock, but froze as something caught his eye.

Ivy was overwhelmed with several Beedrill, stumbling about as poison slowly sapped her strength, but that wasn't the big problem. With Ivy weakened and surrounded, Rose and Lilly were left wide open. A Beedrill turned his attention towards Rose, his black eyes gleaming dangerously. The Beedrill sped at Rose as she watched Ivy in worry, unaware of the Poison Sting coming right at her.

Pika's eyes widened as he realized that his precious trainer was only a few steps away from the cliff's edge, if the Beedrill managed to hit her at the speed it was currently going, she would-!

"Pikapichu!" He screamed, 'Rose!' He sped towards his friend with a Quick Attack, desperation dripping from his voice as he ran towards his trainer. Rose turned, eyes going wide in fear as she watched the Beedrill dive down at her, stingers glowing a harsh purple with a Poison Sting.

Pika threw himself into the air, placing himself between the Beedrill's stinger and Rose. His Quick Attack knocked the Beedrill away from his beloved trainer, but the Beedrill swung his other stinger around, stabbing the Pikachu in the stomach with Poison Sting. The force of the attack launched him away, right over the cliff's edge. Pika didn't even look down, only firing a final Thundershock at the Beedrill, knocking it to the ground.

"Pika!" Rose screamed as he watched her Pokemon begin to plummet over the edge.

Her Pikachu looked at her, eyes coppery eyes gleaming as he fell, "Pikapichu!" He cried to her, free falling into the gorge below.

"No!" Rose screamed, "Pika!" She fell to her knees, desperately looking over the edge, hoping that the electric type had found a ledge or a branch- _something_ to keep him from falling to his death. All she saw was a bright flash of light, as if the Pikachu had been firing desperate Thundershocks as he fell. She stared down the cliff side- she couldn't she him- _She couldn't see him!_ "N-no! _Pika!"_ She screamed.

"Sni... vee?" Ivy whimpered, staring at the cliff's edge in shock, "Snivy sni! _Snivy sni!"_ She cried.

Lilly only stared in horror, her nine year old mind racing as it tried to piece together what happened.

" _Beezzz!"_ The Beedrill hummed triumphantly, realizing that the only threat was now gone. Ivy weakly raised her arms, trying to form a Twister attack, but it only sputtered out in her sorrow and fear. Lilly turned her eyes towards the Beedrill, eyes wide. Rose could only stare down at the cliff, hoping for some sign of her best friend.

The Beedrill raised their stingers, moving in.

"Pidgeotto, Wing Attack! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" An angry voice cried from behind the Beedrill. The swarm paused, humming uncertainly, only for a large bird to charge at them, wings glowing harshly as she cut through the mass of Beedrill with the super effective move. The Pidgeotto landed in front of the now-trio, cawing harshly at the swarm.

"Chu!" A voice cried, and a powerful bolt of electricity struck the swarm, electrocuting the entire mass. The Pidgeotto raised flapped her wings harshly, releasing a powerful Gust into the Beedrill, creating a hole in the swarm.

A boy with raven black hair and a red cap came charging through the swarm, a Pokeball in each hand, and an angry look on his face. A bright yellow Pikachu sat on the boy's shoulder, cheeks sparking. The boy's brown eyes gleamed dangerously as he released two more Pokemon, "Bulbasaur, Squirtle, cover Rose and Lilly! Pidgeotto and Pikachu, keep attacking!" He cried.

The Pikachu sprang off of his shoulder, and the Pidgeotto rose into the air, preparing their attacks. The Squirtle and the Bulbasaur took up defensive positions in front of Lilly and Rose, ready to attack any Beedrill that came near.

Ivy looked up at the boy, though it was her first time seeing him in real life, she recognized him from the video calls and pictures. This was Ash Ketchum- Rose's older brother.

Rose raised her head, staring at Ash as if he had never seen him before. Tears ran down her face as she tried to comprehend what had just taken place. Ash was here- and Pika was gone.

The rage on her brother's face was foreign to her- Ash was positive, naive, and silly. The ten year old trembled in anger, looking much older than he was. Though only a year older than the girls, he carried himself as if he were an adult- something that Ash never acted like.

The Bulbasaur fired a Razor Leaf, and the Squirtle a Water Gun as the Beedrill began to attack once more. Ivy stumbled, collapsing to the ground, too weak to continue. The Pidgeotto and Ash's Pikachu hammered the Beedrill with attacks, but only put a small dent in the swarm. Ash narrowed his gaze thinking. Two voices could be heard in the distance, calling for him, but he ignored that.

"Not leaving, huh?" He muttered at the Beedrill, and he grabbed another Pokeball, "Then you leave me no choice, you won't like this guy."

His Pikachu glanced back at him, eyes widening at the Pokeball in his hand, 'Not him Ash!' Pikachu cried, though all Ash heard was, "Pikachu Pikapi!"

Ash opened up the Pokeball, releasing a very grouchy looking Charizard, "Charizard," Ash ordered angrily, "Use Flamethrower on those Beedrill! Torch them all!" The winged lizard raised his head, eyes gleaming unhappily, snorting as he eyed the Beedrill swarm. He swung his gaze around, glaring at his trainer, as if horrified at he had been given a command.

The Charizard opened up his mouth, preparing the attack he had been ordered, but he was aiming right at Ash instead of the Beedrill, but then the Charizard paused as he saw the look on Ash's face. His trainer was a stupid, whiney boy, and only useful for target practice. But he didn't see that boy now, instead a _very_ angry boy that looked like was ready to burn the whole forest down himself. It wasn't just the angry look on Ash's face, but it was radiating from his trainer. He could feel Ash's rage rolling off of him in great waves.

The Charizard shuddered, a mixture of respect for the new side of his trainer, but also fear. An angry trainer was never good, and memories of his time with Daiman surfaced. Rage and fear built up in Charizard as his thoughts turned to his old trainer.

"Ash!" A female voice cried, and Charizard saw Misty and Brock standing on the outside of the Beedrill swarm, and Misty froze, "Oh no- Brock, he let out Charizard!"

Charizard wanted to blast Ash with a Flamethrower, to remind the stupid trainer of his place- that he wasn't some tool to control- that he couldn't be insulted by being thrown into fights with weaklings- or be bothered with his mindless commands, but the deep fear was stronger in Charizard. He had never seen Ash this angry, and it only brought back memories of when Damian was angry. It had always hurt when Damian was angry, and fear ran through Charizard.

Charizard wheeled around to face the Beedrills, releasing a Flamethrower as ordered right at the bug types.

Pikachu, the rest of Ash's team, Misty, and Brock stared at Ash and Charizard in shock as the fire type obeyed, repeatedly blasting the swarm over and over again, fainting every Beedrill that the fire hit with only one attack. Within only a few powerful Flamethrowers the Beedrills were down, writhing on the ground, covered in huge burns. Charizard fired one last Flamethrower for good measure, not concerned at all as some of the forest caught fire.

Charizard blinked, taking in what he had just done. He had listened to the stupid kid! He spun around, angry that he had let fear control him. But before he could do anything Ash had his Pokeball raised, returning the fierce Pokemon without a word. Ash took a deep breath as the Charizard was recalled, slipping the Pokeball onto his belt. He glanced at his Pokemon, who were still staring at him.

"Use Sand Attack and Water Gun to put out the fire," Ash said coldly, angry still in his tone, but it was now controlled, "Don't let it spread."

Pidgeotto let out a cry, kicking up sand and dirt to suffocate the flames as Squirtle fired jets of water from his mouth to put out the flames. Misty and Brock were gawking at Ash, not sure of what to make of this new attitude of his. Finally Misty released her water Pokemon and Brock let out his Geodude to help put out the fire caused by Charizard. Misty squirmed at the sight of the bug Pokemon, but carefully stepped over the burned and fainted Beedrills, making her ways towards Ash.

"I don't believe it!" She cried, "Charizard listened to you for once!" She glanced at Lilly and Rose, who were sitting there, shaking, "Now I see why you ran off suddenly, always trying to play the hero."

"Ash," Brock asked, noticing that Ash was shaking in his rage, "Are you okay?"

Ash spun around to face Rose and Lilly, glaring at them angrily. He sputtered out every word, as if trying to keep himself under control, "And what," He snarled at them, "Do you think you two are doing out of Pallet Town?!"

Lilly flinched at her neighbor's rage, but Rose didn't move. She just stared down at her hands, eyes empty and hollow. She didn't even seem like she had heard Ash. Misty and Brock fell silent as Ash continued addressing the girls.

"Do you think that everything is just a game?!" He growled, "Clear rules were laid out for you, and yet you think it's just fine to mess around?! In the unmarked parts of the Viridian Forest as well! What would have happened if I hadn't been around to protect you just now? Those Beedrill weren't just having an average battle- one of you could have _died!"_

Rose burst into tears at the last word, springing to her feet, and running forward towards Ash. She threw her arms around her brother, sobbing into his chest. The rage instantly died down a little from his face, gaze softening as he looked at his younger sister. He returned the hug, but a stern look remained on his face.

"P-P-Pika!" Rose choked out, "P-p-please! F-find h-him!" She pointed out towards the cliff, "P-please help h-him Ash! Please!" She broke down, shaking.

Ash glanced towards the cliff edge, "What?"

Lilly managed to find her voice, "P-pika, her Pich-Pikachu, he took an attack for her and he fell!"

Ash's Pikachu's ears went up in alarm, "Pika!?" He cried, looking around the forest for his cousin, but saw no sign. He looked at the cliff edge that Rose had pointed to, and he began shaking, "P-pika...?" He looked at Ivy, who was still poisoned. The grass type glanced away, tears in her eyes.

All the rage evaporated from Ash's face, and he wrapped his arms even tighter around Rose, "P-pidgeotto, go now into the ravine. Look for a Pichu- or a body of one," Ash gulped.

"He's a Pikachu now," Lilly whispered as Rose let out a whimper, she was shaking, "H-he evolved before he took an attack for her..."

"A Pikachu body," He muttered, and Rose sobbed even harder. Ash's own Pikachu raced forward, jumping onto Pidgeotto's back as she got ready to go down into the gorge. Ash glanced back towards Misty and Brock, who were watching the scene before them in pure confusion, "If you could let Zubat out to help that'd be nice," He muttered.

Brock nodded, pulling out a Pokeball, and releasing his Zubat from its Pokeball. He quietly gave the flying type instructions as Ash sat down with Rose, rocking her gently in his arms, "It's going be okay," He muttered, "Just breath Rose, just breath..."

Brock's Zubat dove into the ravine with Pidgeotto and Pikachu, letting out high pitched cries as he searched. Silence fell upon the small group except for Rose's sobbings. Lilly stumbled over to Ivy, picking up the poisoned took notice of this, quickly pulling out some medicine for the grass type.

Ivy sat quietly in Lilly's grip, rocking back and forth, not lifting up her head until she heard the sound of something running through the forest. Soon the humans picked up on it as well, stiffening as they heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.

An Eevee leapt out of the bushes, looking head to attack. He paused after a moment, blinking his big eyes at Rose, Lilly, and Ash. The group stared at the Eevee until his trainer broke through the bushes, panting as if he had been running. The green eyed trainer looked up, taking in the scene around them. After a moment his eyes went to Ash.

"Are they hurt?" He asked, and Ash shook his head, and the boy let out a sigh of relief.

"Gary!" Lilly cried at the sight of her older brother, and she dashed towards him. He glanced at her, quickly bringing her into an embrace as she approached, but the action seemed to be more out of protection than affection. Gary kept one arm around her, eying the Beedrill. Ash finding them way out here was one thing- but Gary as well? That wasn't a coincidence.

"Mrow!" A pink Meowth jumped out from the bushes, sitting next to Gary's Eevee. She licked one paw, completely relaxed. Ivy glared at her angrily.

'If you hadn't ran off Pika wouldn't be at the bottom of that gorge!' Ivy screamed at her, 'You dare show your face again?!'

The Meowth eyed Gary and Ash, 'You're right, he wouldn't be at the bottom. He'd be dead here on top with all of you. If I hadn't ran off then the boys wouldn't know where you were. You would all be goners, and the Beedrill had fully intentions of killing.'

"Calm down Rose, Pika wouldn't want this…" Ash said calmly as he stared his sister straight in the eyes, he was worried about her and was devastated about Pika, "If only I got here sooner..." He muttered, clenching his fists.

Misty stood off to the side, unsure of what to do while Brock approached Lilly, offering an antidote for the poisoned Snivy. Lilly accepted the medicine, but Ivy didn't respond as Lilly offered it to her. The grass type kept staring at the side of the cliff, shaking, hoping that the flying types would come back with some sign that Pika was alright.

Rose kept clinging on to Ash, crying as he comforted his sister in her time of mourning. All the anger was now gone, as he quietly held his younger sister.

Ivy eyes were red from tears, she couldn't stop, even as Lilly forced the antidote down her throat, 'My...my best friend… gone,' She muttered, trying to digest what had just happened, 'If we never left Pika would still be alive...' Ivy started to cry harder, Lilly held the Pokemon tightly in her arms, but looked like she needed comfort herself.

The pink on the Meowth gleamed as she took a few steps towards the fainted Beedrill, touching them with one paw. 'They are no longer infected,' She muttered simply, 'Expected, it is gone as soon as it has no more use for the host,' The strange blackness was gone from the bug types, they now looked like regular Beedrill.

'What do you mean by "infected"!?' Ivy demanded, chittering angrily.

The Meowth looked at her, but didn't reply.

"What are they doing out here?!" Gary snarled at Ash angrily, "You know they can't leave Pallet Town!"

Ash glared at his rival cooly, standing up, "I found them out here, being attacked by a bunch of corrupted Beedrill. Do you honestly think I'd bring them out here?!"

"What do you mean corrupted?" Gary said, glancing at the fainted Beedrill, "These are normal Beedrill."

"They are now, but I know what I saw. We need to get these girls back to Pallet right now," Ash grabbed Rose's shoulder.

"N-no..." She muttered, "P-pika-!"

Ash sighed, then looked at Gary, "Her Pichu fell off the cliff in the attack, my Pokemon are looking for him right now. Can you get the girls to Viridian safely?"

"I will," Gary nodded his head "Come on Eevee!" The brown fox dashed towards his trainer, jumping onto his shoulder.

"Thank you Gary," said Ash as he gave Rose and Lilly a hug "Go home now," Ash said calmly as he held back his emotion.

Rose and Lilly quietly followed Gary to Viridian, heads hung low. Rose couldn't speak, eyes staring straight a head in disbelief. Lilly cradled Ivy, her gaze flickering between Rose, her Pokemon, and her brother.

* * *

Ash was quiet as the girls and Gary left, only staring over the cliff, waiting for his Pokemon to return. Misty jumped as a few the Beedrill started to awaken, but they didn't attack, only flew off weakly.

"I'm... impressed," Brock said slowly, "I think that's the first time you and Gary have ever gotten along, somewhat."

Ash didn't answer right away, "Rose and Lilly are more important than some stupid rivalry."

"Who were those girls anyway?" Misty asked. Ash hesitated for a moment.

"My neighbors..." Ash said quietly, "They're both my neighbors..."

"Really?" Brock said, "You seemed close to them."

"... When you come from a small town like Pallet you're close to everyone," Ash said slowly, walking away, waiting for Pidgeotto to return with Pikachu.

* * *

Gary hung up the video phone in the Pokemon Center, walking back towards the girls, "Gramps is coming to pick you two up, and he's not happy. Ms. Ketchum was panicking," He sighed, "I wouldn't be surprised if Gramps made you guys delay your journey for a stunt like this."

"I don't want to go on a journey!" Shouted Rose, as her eyes welled up with tears, "Not without Pika!"

The Pokemon Center fell silent at Rose's scream, glancing towards the trio. Gary hesitated, as if trying to find someway to comfort Rose, but he didn't seem to know what to say. Lilly threw her arms around her best friend, and Ivy made small cooing noises.

"Don't worry Rosie," Lilly whispered, "I won't leave without you. I'll stay with you until you're ready to go on a journey."

Rose didn't respond, and the doors to the Pokemon Center slid open. Ash walked in, expression unreadable. Pidgeotto was on his shoulder, and Pikachu in his arms. The small electric mouse had tears in his eyes. Misty and Brock walked in as well, keeping their distance. Rose looked up, the smallest amount of hope in her eyes.

"... Pika...?" She whispered quietly to her brother. Ash looked away, closing his eyes, and Rose began to shake, "N-no..."

"We couldn't find a body," Ash said hollowly, "There was a river at the bottom of the ravine, it was mostly likely swept away," He refused to make eye contact, and Lilly couldn't help but wonder if they had really found the body, but just didn't want Rose to see it. The remains of a fall from a cliff would not have been pretty.

"Rosie..." Lilly muttered quietly as Rose began to sob once more.

"Come on," Ash said gently, "Let's get you home."

Outside the Pokemon Center a pink Meowth watched them. After a moment she dipped her head, teleporting away.

* * *

 **That's the end of the prologue (This part was pretty long!) Next chapter will lead into the main part of the story, where Rose and Lilly will be sixteen, and Ash and Gary will be seventeen. It will take place during Ash's Kalos journey. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 1 - Six Years Later

**Hello~ 11JJ11 here, and we have an update at last! Like the chapter title says, this takes place about six years after the prologue, so Lilly and Rose will be sixteen from here on out! Enjoy the story~**

* * *

"...And while exposure to any sort of electrical energy of the correct intensity can trigger evolution in certain Pokemon," Professor Oak said, "The League has deemed that the electrical energy exposed during the process of trading Pokemon to be the safest and most humane way to trigger evolution in Pokemon like Kadabra and Machoke. Other Pokemon, such as Onix or Scyther need to hold a special item to assist in a trade evolution, like an item called the 'metal coat', that helps them get energy for a new typing-"

"That's interesting Gramps," Lilly interrupted her grandfather, sliding some books onto the lab shelf, "But I asked why Shelmet and Karrablast only evolve when traded with each other, not a full explanation on trade evolution."

The professor chuckled, "Reading more about Unova?"

Lilly scratched the back of her head Mareepishly, "Yeah... I especially like the legends," She held up a book with a picture of three dragons on the cover, "The one about Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem seem the most interesting!" She looked away, "I can't believe that Ash got to see all of them while he was in Unova..." She muttered jealously, "Now he's in Kalos, he gets to go to all the cool places, while Gary just sits around in Sinnoh with Professor Rowan..."

Professor Oak laughed, "Gary is studying legendaries, isn't that interesting?" He asked.

Lilly pursed her lips, "Yeah, but he's just reading about them. At least Ash actually goes places!"

"Well, if you're so eager to see the sights then why don't you just start your journey?" Professor Oak sat down, a serious look crossing his face, "You're sixteen now Lilly, and I know that you want to travel. You're running out of time for a journey, and I know that your father wouldn't want you sitting here in Pallet like this."

Lilly looked away, "It wouldn't be a journey without Rose, and you know that she's not starting a Pokemon journey anytime soon," She sighed, "And 'running out of time'? I have my whole life ahead of me Gramps, I'm just fine with studying here for now and helping your with your research," A small smile flickered up onto her face, "Besides, Rose is leaving to go visit Ash in Kalos today, her first time out of the region. Who knows... Maybe getting out will inspire her to start a journey..." She trailed off.

"Vee!"

"Bulba!"

Ash's Bulbasaur and Lilly's Snivy came running into the room, carrying books and papers in their vines. Ivy placed the papers in Lilly's lap, patting them, then scurried up onto her shoulder, peering down as Lilly straightened them, "Perfect," Lilly beamed looking over the requested papers, then stroked her starter, "Thank you, girl."

"Sni!"

"Hello?" A voice called from near the front of the lab, "Are you guys in here...?"

"We're in the back!" Professor Oak called, and a moment later Rose stuck her head in the room.

"Hey guys," She said brightly, hauling a backpack behind her.

"Shouldn't you be on the road?" Professor Oak asked, sitting up, "You don't want to miss your plane!"

Rose smiled, "I just came to say goodbye, that's all. Mum's waiting for me out front in the car to take me to the airport in Saffron City, so I can't stay long."

"Wish I could come," Lilly said, standing up, "But it just interferes with my work with Gramps..." Lilly smiled, "But hey, this'll be a little family get together with you and Ash though!"

"Yeah, first time in ages!" Rose agreed, "He _never_ stays in Pallet for long! Always on the move!" Rose reached out, stroking Ivy, who was sitting on Lilly's shoulder, "Take care of Lil for me, okay?"

"Vee!" Ivy chirped, nodding.

Professor Oak cleared his throat, and both girls turned to look at him, "Rose," He began, "As I have told you before, it is not safe to travel without a Pokemon," He reached his hand into his lab coat pocket, "And going into a new region alone is not the best idea," He pulled out a Pokeball, "This Squirtle was a remaining starter, and even if it's just for this trip-"

"I'm going to stop you right there Professor," Rose said quietly, "You know my answer, no thank you. I'm going to be sticking to the main roads and then I'll be meeting up with Ash, I'll be just fine. You know I'm not ready to..." She trailed off, looking away.

Professor Oak took a step forward, "Rose," He said gently, "No one is asking you to replace Pika. I understand that was a traumatic experience for you to witness, and at such a young age, but what you're doing..." He sighed, "It's just not good for you to stay in that mind set," He held out the Pokeball, "Please, just for while you're in Kalos-"

"I best be going now," Rose said quickly, cutting him off. She gave Lilly a small embrace, "I'll see you when I get back, 'kay?"

"See you Rose!" Lilly called as her friend quickly left the room, head low. As soon as they heard the lab door shut Lilly scowled at her grandfather, "Really?" She asked, "She already said no to taking one of Ash's Pokemon that he has here, and you know how close she is to them."

"I was just trying to help," Professor Oak said quietly, "And she has every right to refuse that," He slipped the Pokeball back into his pocket, then pulled out an envelope, setting in on the desk.

"What's that?" Lilly asked curiously.

"Your next assignment, you are doing an internship with me after all," He replied, sliding it towards her. Lilly took the envelope, opening it up reveal several photos and some papers. The pictures showed a vast desert with a harsh sandstorm whipping through it. With in the pictures though you could make out a teal shaped creature in the sand, "A strangely colored Trapinch has been seen on Route 13, from some witnesses reports it likes to attack trainers and their teams passing by and it rallies the other local Trapinch to fight with it, and it has been causing from problems for younger and unprepared trainers. I want you to find it and observe it, capture it if possible, it would be interesting to study."

Lilly started at the paper with the Pokemon's location, "... It says 'Route 13 - Lumiose Badlands'... That wouldn't be in Kanto..."

Professor Oak smiled, "I never said it was in Kanto," He nodded towards the envelope once more, and Lilly peered in, realizing she had missed one small slip of paper. She pulled out a small plane ticket with the words 'Lumiose City' on it. Lilly stared at it as her grandfather continued speaking, "I wanted to get both of you on the same flight, but Rose's flight was already filled up, so I ordered you a ticket for a flight tomorrow. You can surprise Rose when you arrive, which is why I didn't say anything while she was here."

A smile slowly began to spread onto Lilly's face as she realized she too was going to Kalos, and she sprang to her feet, hugging her grandfather, "Thank you so much Gramps!"

He laughed, "I know how close you two girls are, you couldn't be separated for long!" He returned the hug, then pulled away, "Could you do me a favor while in Lumiose?" He asked, "That's where your plane lands."

"Sure thing, what do you need?" Lilly asked, holding the ticket tightly, her mind obviously focused on the trip ahead.

"First, please deliver these papers to a man named Professor Sycamore," He said, handing a folder to Lilly. She took it, tucking it under her arm, "Second, I need you to pick a Pokemon from him. It's a Pokemon that hasn't been able to find a trainer that understand its wants, and I think Rose would be the perfect match for it."

Lilly paused, smiled fading a bit, "Gramps," She said, "You know-"

"Rose loves Pokemon," Professor Oak interrupted, "But the idea of her accepting another starter feels like she's replacing Pika, which she doesn't want to do. I think that if she gets a chance to bond with another Pokemon she'll be able to accept it onto her team without ruining Pika's memory. Kalos is not a safe region either, so if _you_ are the one to give her the Pokemon when you catch up to her..."

"She won't be in a place to hand it back right away," Lilly said, quickly catching on to her grandfather's idea, "Since I'll be catching up to her on the road. And if I refuse to take it on myself for the trip, then it'll be stuck in a Pokeball the whole time, which won't sit well with her..." Lilly looked at her grandfather, "You purposely made sure our flights were apart, didn't you?"

He laughed, "Got me there," He admitted, "But I just can't stand seeing Rose in this state of mourning anymore. She doesn't want to let go of Pika, but by focusing on the past she's only remembering the sorrow. I feel this is a chance for her to reawaken a bond with a Pokemon."

Lilly took a step towards the door, "Well," She began, "I better get packing if I'm leaving tomorrow," She paused, "Thank you again Gramps. Let's go, Ivy!"

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in the Viridian Forest, a Persian was quietly making her way through thick underbrush. The Persian paused as she heard something rushing through the trees, but after a moment she decided it was nothing more than the wind. The gem on her head pulsed with psychic energy, and she continued deeper into the forest. Her cream colored body was almost white, no mud or grime despite the branches and dirt she was walking through. Her ears were a bright pink, unlike most Persian, marking her as a shiny.

Most humans never came this deep into the Viridian Forest, with no paths that lead this far into the forest. Besides, the Beedrill had long ago claimed this section of the forest as their own, and even other wild kinds of wild Pokemon avoided it. No Pidgeys sang in these trees and the Caterpie line stayed farway. Even the rarer Pikachu, who usually were far from the trails, found other parts of the forest to call home rather than deal with the territorial Beedrill.

But the Persian knew her way around, and these parts of the forest was where the Weedle would choose to evolve into Kakuna, and eventually into Beedrill. With the the last batch of Kakuna evolving just about a week ago, and Persian knew that the next group of Weedle wouldn't arrive for about a month. She was safe for now.

Besides, she could deal with a swarm of Beedrill anyday.

She paused as she approached a small clearing in the forest. Though it had been over six years since she had been here, she still recognized it as the place where she had fought the infected Beedrill to protect _the_ girls in her shiny Meowth form. She sniffed around, but sensed none of the Shadow's power here anymore, that had been a one time event when it had tried to attack the girls with the Beedrill, but with both of them back in Pallet Town the Shadow couldn't touch them there.

At least, that would be the case, but one of the girls had left Pallet Town.

The Persian sighed, knowing that fear couldn't keep both girls back forever. They were now sixteen, and the whole world was waiting for them. She hadn't been that surprised when she had sensed Rose passing through the protective barrier around the town with a packed bag, it was time for them to leave the safety of their nest. Though after what had happened to the Pikachu, the Persian had expected Lilly to be the first to go, not Rose.

But with Rose gone, Lilly would be sure to follow. It wouldn't be long before the Shadow picked up on their movement, and then _it_ would begin. The Shadow's forces would soon be on the move, and it was time that Persian got on the move herself, her time protecting the girls was up, especially after it had been extended six years since the 'Pikachu accident'. Though she had a few more things she needed to do.

The Persian stretched, glancing around the clearing one more time, then slowly approached the cliff edge that lead into the gorge at the edge of the clearing. The Persian peered down, showing no fear of the fall below her. This had been where Pika had fallen, but she had no concern as she studied the jagged cliff edge and the rushing river below. After a moment's thought the shiny Persian took a step back, then charged right off the cliff.

Her face remained peacefully as she began to fall, no panic in her gaze. The Persian simply closed her eyes, glowing as if she were evolving. Her form slowly began to shrink, and her fall began to slow down. When the bright white light faded the Persian was gone, and in her place was a small, pink, cat like creature with bright blue eyes.

The Mew paused mid fall, floating in the air with her psychic powers. She yawned, before diving towards the river at the bottom of the gorge. She dipped a paw in the water as she glided above the surface, then took off flying, following the river upstream. There was no sign of life in the ravine, not even fish or plants as the Mew made her way farther down the gorge. Even the forest that stood up on top of the cliffs were silent as she approached the end of the ravine.

She looked at the rushing waterfall at poured into the gorge. She raised on paw, which pulsed with psychic energy. The water parted, revealing a narrow cave behind it. She darted in, the waterfall flowing and blocking the entrance of the cave once as she went it. The Mew glowed, turning into a shiny pink Crobat. Despite not being a shiny herself, it seemed to be her favorite form when transforming, or perhaps she just like being a Pokemon with pink on it.

She flapped her four wings, darting quickly through the cave, zipping around the stalagmites and stalagmites with no effort even with no light in the cave. She let out a high pitched chirp, winding through the maze of tunnels and forks in the cave without any trouble. Finally after several minutes of speeding through the cave she stopped, glowing once more as she retook on her true Mew form. She drifted into the last tunnel, revealing a large cavern that was lit up by a single copper-colored crystal that stood in the center of the room. She floated up to it, touching the glowing gem with the end of her tail. The crystal glowed brighter, teleporting her away with a flash.

Mew reappeared in another cavern, that looked a lot like the first one, except the walls were made of a blue crystal. Another coppery gem stood next to where Mew teleported in. Despite the breathtaking view, the Mew paid no attention to it, and floated out of the cave and into the sunlight.

At least, it looked like sunlight.

She had just stepped into a huge, underground cavern, easily bigger than a Pokemon League stadium. The cave ceiling stretched far above her, and lining the roof of the cavern were a half dozen of Volcarona. Though Unova native, the fire types had been a gift from Mew to this cavern, with their fiery wings being able to serve as a sun in the deep underground. The warmth from their bodies kept the cavern at the pleasant temperature, and the fire lit up the cave as if it were high noon. And in return the Volcaronas had a place of safety where poachers could never find them.

The floor of the cavern looked like a forest, with a thick blanket of grass and tall trees growing in the rich soil. It was quite a sight to see, plants flourishing so deep underground. Though Mew couldn't see it at the moment, she knew that in the center of the forest was a spring and a huge silver lake. Mew drifted forward, blue eyes scanning the forest for a certain Pokemon. There were many Pokemon in the cavern, everything from the common Rattata to the rarer Bulbasaur. Every time a Pokemon saw her they would freeze, then quickly go into a bow, then run off, spreading the news of her arrival.

'Lady Mew,' A voice said after a moment, and Mew turned in time to see a blue Flareon bowing to her, 'It has been a long time since you have visited the haven.'

'Flareon,' Mew said warmly, drifting towards her, 'It's nice to see you again, can you take me to your brother? I need to speak with Leafeon.'

'Of course! He's down at the lake and-' Flareon paused, then looked back at Mew, blue fur stiffening, '... Wait...' She muttered, 'Is... Is it time for your to take them?'

Mew nodded, 'Yes, I need the kits.'

Flareon lowered her head, clearing trying to hold back tears, then she nodded, 'Very well, I'll take you to the den then, m'lady,' She turned to a Vulpix and Pikachu, 'Please try to find Kadabra or my siblings, tell them to come to the den and to spread the word that Lady Mew is here,' She mumbled, and the two Pokemon nodded, dashing off towards the lake. Flareon turned, leading Mew towards the edge of the cavern.

Mew tried to ignore the heaviness in her heart, she knew what she was doing was necessary. These Eeveelutions had been gifted with her powers for generations, and now she needed two of them to lend her their powers in return.

More Pokemon joined the group as they made their way towards the Eevee den. There were many species of Pokemon, most of them featuring scars and bandaged wounds. Mew knew that Leafeon took in many abandoned and abused Pokemon, but she was surprised by how many had joined his numbers since she had last been her. Many of the newer ones watched her in awe, keeping back at a respectable distance.

There was a red Jolteon darting along the edges, and a black Vaporeon swimming in the stream. A lavender Glaceon appeared on the trail ahead, nodding to Mew and the blue Flareon. There was still no sign of the teal Leafeon, but Mew knew he would appear sooner or later.

Soon the forest widened out to a small clearing that lined the cavern wall. The stream forked out around the clearing, forming a small moat. Mew looked towards the cavern wall, looking at the small cave entrance in it, knowing that's where the kits she came for were. The parade of Pokemon stopped as they reached the stream that served as a moat, knowing better than to cross it. The only ones who set foot past it where the Eeveelutions and Mew. Mew looked around, nodding in approval, this was the perfect place to raise young Pokemon.

A yellow and orange Sylveon stepped out of the cave, bowing to Mew, then joining her other siblings nearly the stream. They stood attentively, waiting for Mew to make the first move, but she just hovered there, floating in mid air, waiting for a certain Leafeon.

Finally the teal Leafeon appeared, slowly walking out of the forest. The crowd quickly parted, allowing him to approach the clearing. He jumped across the stream, watching Mew closely. His face was calm, but his eyes gleamed with dozens of emotions. He once he was across the stream, he came up to Mew with a low bow. She didn't say anything as he stood back up, looking at her.

'It's an honor to see you again, m'lady,' He said slowly, voice tense, 'Many years have past since your last visit here.'

'Hello Leafeon,' Mew said, nodding, 'I believe you know why I'm here.'

He closed his eyes, pained, 'Yes, I do. The kits are resting within the cave,' He nodded towards the hole in the cavern wall.

'Please go and get them,' Mew said, 'I am on limited time and I must take them now.'

Leafeon didn't move, '... You remember your promise, right?'

'I have no intentions on breaking it, Leafeon,' Mew said, voice even, 'Now, please go get the kits.'

Leafeon let out a sigh, then glanced at Sylveon. She trotted forward, and both of them vanished into the cave entrance. The group sat in silence, waiting quietly as Leafeon and Sylveon came out of cave, each carrying a small Eevee by the scruff. The small brown masses of fur whined, shifting as they entered the bright light provided by the Volcaronas. Mew came forwards, landing softly on the ground as the Eevee kits were placed in front of her.

The young Pokemon let out toothy yawns, blinking their big eyes. The two Pokemon looked up at Mew, letting out a small cry of delight at the pink creature before them. Both Pokemon looked like regular Eevees, except for their eyes. One of the Eevees, the oldest of the two, had sharp pink eyes that were very similar to the shade of the fur on Mew's body. The other kit, the younger one, had bright blue eyes, the same color as Mew's own eyes.

The younger Eevee turned, tackling her pink-eyed sister to the ground. Both Eevees began play-fighting, completely forgetting about the Mew watching them. Mew sighed, but nodded, as if satisfied.

'They are beautiful Leafeon,' Mew said, 'And energetic, they'll bond perfectly to the girls. You have done a good job raising them.'

Leafeon said nothing for a moment, '... Thank you m'lady...' He muttered, shaking, then he turned away, 'Well?' He said coldly, 'What are you waiting for, take them. Take my sisters to your filthy humans!' He snarled, the scars on his back trembling.

Mew took in a deep breath, as if she was about to say something, but no words came. She truly felt bad, but she didn't have time for this. She had to take these two kits all the way to Kalos, and then do her favor for Ash before the girls arrived. Mew's eyes began to glow pink, and the two Eevees were lifted into the air with a Psychic attack. The pink-eyed one stiffened, obviously not enjoying the sensation of floating. The younger Eevee with blue eyes only giggled, pawing at the air. Mew drifted up next to them, and she turned her eyes to the Pokemon that lived in the haven.

There were the alternately colored Eeveelutions, who were all watching their little sisters with tears in their eyes. Even Leafeon had turned back around, looking up at the two Eevee kits with damp eyes. The yellow Sylveon was pressed against him, chewing on one of her ribbons as she watched the two kits she had practically raised leave. There was a Kadabra hovering behind Leafeon, waving farewell to the two kits. A Vulpix was waving all six of his tails about, and a Pikachu behind him was glaring at Leafeon. The Bulbasaur that Mew had seen when she had first entered was lifting up a little Cubone with her vines so the ground type could see Mew and the Eevees. There were many other Pokemons, all pressing close to get a chance to see her before she left with the kits. Even the Volcarona, who usually stayed near the ceiling, were flying above the small underground clearing.

Mew let out a small sigh, and brought the Eevee kits close to her. Pink eyes was still as stiff as a board, while blue eyes was chew on her sister's tail as they floated in the air. The two kits were unaware of the fate ahead of them, unaware that they'd be leaving the only home they have ever known, unaware that they were leaving their family. Mew closed her eyes, and all three of them began to glow, teleporting them away.

* * *

Rose looked excitedly out the window as the Saffron City airport came into view. Her passport and plane ticket were clutched in her hands as she and her mum entered the airport- Rose was excited to finally venture out of Pallet to see her brother again after many years and catch up. Though Ash visited Pallet Town often, for some reason he never stayed for long. Rose was going to savor the upcoming trip, now that the opportunity to be with her brother was finally here.

 _I should be doing this with Pika…_ Rose thought bitterly as the car slowly pulled to a stop, _Wait, no, I shouldn't be thinking about this right now…_

"Hey Mum, thank you for taking me to the airport," Rose said, looking at her mother as she parked the car, trying to get her mind off of Pika. But the image of him falling was still branded in her mind...

"You're welcome sweetie, I wouldn't have expected you to walk," Delia said with a laugh, tugging Rose out of her thoughts, "You have fun now, and make sure Ash is looking after himself!"

Rose opened the car door and stood up, shouldering her backpack, "Of course Mum, though I'm sure he's just fine," Delia was smiling at her, but Rose could tell that she was worried, but that was Delia.

"See you soon sweetie," She said, "And make sure you call me when I get there!" She called after Rose was she shut the car door. Rose smiled, and waved a final goodbye as she watched her Mum's car pull away disappear into the airport's traffic. Rose took a deep breath, realizing that her the first time in her life she had no one besider her; no Lilly, no Mum, no Ash... No Pika...

She quickly shook her head as Pika's desperate cry echoed in her head, and focused on the huge building in front of her. _Get checked in, find my airplane, and get on..._ She quickly made a mental checklist, trying to pull her thoughts away from her Pokemon.

She make my way over to the check in desk, quietly standing in the long line of people. Most were older than her, but she saw many young faces of children that were probably just starting their Pokemon journey. All unaware of the harshness of life, unaware of the cruelness that hide in between the moments of joy. People all around Rose had their Pokemon out in their arms or standing near them- even the receptionist had a little purple Pokemon swinging on her shoulder.

"Can I have you passport and ticket?" The receptionist asked with a smile, though she looked tired.

"Sure thing," Rose replied, and she handed her the passport documents along with the plane ticket over to the lady. Rose was running a little bit behind, but she knew the plane hadn't left quite yet. The receptionist typed something into her computer, glancing down at the plane ticket. _Perhaps I shouldn't have stopped at Oak's lab..._ Rose thought, but no, there was no way she could have gone without saying goodbye to Lilly. It would have just felt wrong.

"You are all clear to board," The lady said, looking up from her computer, "Please just head over to gate 16 and you will be able to board the plane to Kalos."

"Thank you," Rose muttered as the lady handed the passport back, a swift hand grabbed the documents before she could reach them.

Rose looked up in time to see the lady's purple Pokemon grab the passport with it's hand-like tail, but the lady yanked it from his grasp, "Aipom," The lady said sharply, pulling out a Pokeball and recalling the Aipom as it let out a laugh, and she signed, "Sorry, he has a habit of doing that... If he keeps it up I won't be able to have him out during work..." She forced a smile onto her face, "Sorry once more, here you go," She handed Rose her passport and plane ticket, "And you might want to hurry, you're running a bit late."

"Thank you," Rose said once more, accepting the papers and quickly moving out of the line so the next person could go. She raised her eyes up, looking for gate 16, but with even the nervousness rushing through her, she couldn't drown out her excitement. For once she was leaving Kanto, she was finally taking a step forward in her life.

* * *

 **So shiny Meowth/Persian was really Mew the whole time. It's strange having a serious Mew, since they're usually portrayed as playful and childish, but she was a fun character to write. Thank you for reading and a review is always appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 2 - A Whole New World

**Hello PikachuLover14 here, to finally update the story. We both hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A Whole New World**

"Wow..." Lilly muttered as she exited the Lumiose City airport, "So this is Kalos..."

"Vee..." Ivy replied, sitting on her shoulder, staring at Lumiose City alongside her trainer. Never had she seen such a large city in person before, and neither had Lilly. Even with the airport they had left Kanto from being one of the largest in the region, Lumiose put it all to shame. The gem of the city- Prism Tower- stood tall in the center of the major city, gleaming in the sunlight.

Lilly blinked a few times, in awe at the city before her, but also exhausted from the long fight. Being cramped on the airplane for hours now made every muscle scream as she walked, and being in a whole new time zone had thrown her off, and a yawn escaped her throat.

"Came from Unova, I'm guessing?" An older lady asked, nodding at Ivy. Lilly glanced at the Snivy, smiling, "Nope, Kanto," She replied, stroking the grass type, "But Ivy here was born in Unova, but she's lived most of her life in Kanto with me."

The lady nodded, "There is something special about raising a rare Pokemon, treat her well."

"I wouldn't care if Ivy was a Rattata, she would still be my best friend," Lilly replied, and she looked at the lady for a moment, "Would you happen to know where Professor Sycamore's lab is? I have a feeling that I'm going to get lost in a city like this..."

The lady chuckled at this, then pointed down a nearby road, instructing her on how to reach the laboratory. Lilly thanked the lady, then darted down the crowded streets, following the instructions the women had given her. Coming from such a small and close knit town, Lilly was surprised by how little attention people paid to one another, only rushing through the busy roads, ignoring everyone they passed. Even within the huge city, Lilly had never felt more alone. There was nobody here that she knew, no Rose by her side, no grandfather guiding her. Only her and Ivy.

But being raised by Professor Oak it wasn't hard for her to spot out Professor Sycamore's lab, even if it was more fancier than the one she had grown up in, there was just certain elements of a lab that even one in the big city couldn't lack. Lilly stared up at the lab for a while, then reached into her bag, pulling out the folder that Professor Oak had wanted her to give to Sycamore. She hesitated for a moment, then rapped on the door of lab. After a minute the door was pulled open, revealing a tall woman with dark hair.

"Hello," She said, "I'm Sophie, can I help you?"

"H-hi," Lilly squeaked, why was she so nervous? "I'm L-lilly, and I'm suppose to be giving t-these to the professor..."

Sophie smiled, "Oh! You're Professor Oak's granddaughter! We're expecting you, come on in!" She stepped to the side, allowing Lilly to enter. Lilly was looking around the exotic lab, "Just wait here and I'll go grab the professor. Don't mind Garchomp, she's sweet. I'll be back in a minute."

And with that she vanished deeper into the lab. Lilly shifted slightly, realizing that suddenly being shoved into an unknown region, away from the small Kanto life she had always known was having a harder effect on her than she had expected. She had never been surrounded by so many people before, and she just didn't know how to react.

"Chompa!" Lilly flinched as a large, dark blue creature approached her. The female Garchomp had a bright red chest and a yellow star-shape at the end of her nose. She leaned down, gently nuzzling Ivy despite her fearsome size. She reached up with a finned arm, placing a claw on Lilly's shoulder, in what seemed to be a welcoming manner. Lilly couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her, and she placed a hand on the claw in return, the dragon type reminding her of her grandfather's Dragonite.

"Hello there," Lilly muttered, stroking the large creature, "Aren't you sweet...?"

"That's Garchomp," A deep voice said behind them, making Lilly flinch. Garchomp raised her head happily, "Welcoming our guests before I can even meet them," Garchomp turned and stomped happily over to the man that was speaking, "My name is Professor Sycamore, and it is simply marvelous that I get to finally meet you Lilly, Professor Oak has spoken highly about you."

Lilly shifted, not sure if his enthusiasm was something everyone had here in Kalos, or if it was just the way the professor was, "Hello..." Lilly managed to say after a moment.

He glanced at the folder in her hand, "Ah, the research Professor Oak sent, potential signs of mega evolution in Kanto's history... That'll be a big help to my research!" He smiled, "You see, I have been studying mega evolution, and now I'd like to study the origin of it. With the research your grandfather is loaning me I'll be able to get a huge head start!" Lilly offered the folder to him, and Sycamore took it. He glanced at Ivy, "Your Snivy seems to be in great health, but what else would I expect from a Pokemon that's been under an Oak's care? Samuel got her from Unova, correct?"

"Yeah..." Lilly said quietly, "From someone named Cedric Juniper... Apparently Ivy was part of an illegal breeding program, and Cedric was able to rescue her. Since she knew an egg move they couldn't give her out as a starter in Unova, so she was given to my grandfather instead."

"And what egg move does she have?" Sycamore asked.

"Twister," Lilly replied, "But she hasn't been able to use it since..." Lilly trailed off, looking away. The Snivy on her shoulder shifted, "Since Rose's Pokemon died..." Lilly muttered, "Ivy hasn't been able to use any special attacks since then..."

Professor Sycamore nodded slowly in understanding, "What moves can she use?" He asked.

"She can use Tackle, Vine Whip, and Attract," Lilly said, stroking the grass type, "She knows Twister, like I said, and also Leaf Tornado, but everytime she tries to use those attacks they fail."

"Strange," Professor Sycamore muttered, "It has been shown that emotional trauma can sometimes stop a Pokemon from drawing on it's power for attacks for sometime, but for only one kind of attacks to be limited is strange..." He tilted his head, "And it really takes away from the variety of attacks she can use. Tackle and Vine Whip are very basic moves, and Attract only would only work on male Pokemon for her..." He chuckled half heartedly, "From what I understand the Snivy line relies heavily on special attacks, not learning moves such as Leaf Blade until they're much stronger. But... I believe there are several physical moves your Snivy can learn at the moment, to give her a variety in her move set."

"Really?" Lilly asked, and Ivy looked up hopefully at the professor.

"Vee!" She cried.

Professor Sycamore smiled, "Yes, I can help teach your Snivy the basics if you'd like. Let me just go the Pokemon your grandfather wanted to entrust to your friend Rose, then we'll see what we can do."

* * *

"Pikapichu! Pika pika Pikapichu!" Pikachu sang happily, restlessly pacing around Ash's feet. Ash looked down at his starter with a small smile, knowing that the phrase 'Pikapichu' translated to Rose. Though Ash couldn't claim to speak Pikachu, he had been able to recognize over the last seven years of being with Pikachu phrases that meant certain things. 'Pikapi' meant Ash, and Ash was sure that 'Pikapichu' was simply a variation of his name, since Rose was his sister.

"Yes, she'll be here soon," Ash said quietly, and Pikachu looked up at his trainer, surprised at the somberness coming from Ash. He flicked an ear, as if to ask if everything was alright. Ash simply smiled, "I'm fine buddy, I'm just... tired, I guess," Ash shrugged, not happy with lying to Pikachu, but he knew it was for the best, "Rose should be here soon, excited to see her again?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, nodding. They were resting at the bottom of a large hill, the spot they had decided to meet Rose at. Bonnie was off playing with Dedenne, while Serena and Clemont were making lunch on top of the hill. Pikachu couldn't help but notice that everyone had seemed... different lately. Serena hadn't been as affectionate as she had been at the beginning of their Kalos journey, and Clemont seemed much more confident, yet not in a good way. Pikachu couldn't quite put a paw on it, but there was just an unfamiliar tension in the air. Even Ash had become distant, not interacting with the group as much. But the only human that seemed to notice these changes was little Bonnie, who had begun to spread more and more time with the Pokemon.

"Hey... Pikachu?" Ash muttered quietly, and Pikachu looked up at him, "You'll take care of Rose and Lilly, right? No matter what happens... I need you to protect them with everything you got, okay?"

Pikachu found this question a bit sudden, but he nodded, "Chu."

Ash smiled, "Thank you buddy. Why don't you go play with Bonnie? I'd feel better if there was someone watching her," Pikachu glanced down at road, "Don't worry, I'll tell you when Rose gets here."

Ash tried not to flinch as yet another lie passed through his lips, but Pikachu only nodded, and the electric mouse dashed up the hill, racing off to find Bonnie and Dedenne. Ash relaxed as soon as Pikachu was out of sight, then reached down, pulling two Pokeballs off of his belt. They were the only two he had on him, he had transferred his Kalos team over to Professor Sycamore when they had stopped at the Pokemon Center last night. The first Pokeball had a small lightning bolt on it- Pikachu's Pokeball. The second one was worn Pokeball, but there was no hint of what Pokemon could possibly lay inside.

 _Do you really want to go through with this?_ A female voice echoed in Ash's mind.

Ash simply sighed, "About time you got here. What took you so long?"

The bushes next to him rustled, and a small creature slinked out, _None of your business, I'm afraid. I had a few matters that I needed to set aside before we do this, if you really are going to go through with this._

Ash looked down at the shiny Espurr in front of him, it had light pink fur, her round eyes stared up at him, "Of course I'm going to do this. It's the only way."

 _No it isn't,_ The 'Espurr' told him, crossing her arms.

"...Well, it's the safest and-"

 _And most emotionally traumatizing for your siblings,_ The shiny Espurr finished, looking away, _Yet I'm still going to help you go through with this..._ She sighed.

"Is Rose here yet?" Ash asked.

 _Yes. She's not far behind, moving a bit slower, but this is her first time outside of her region,_ The Espurr looked at Ash, _Does anyone else know what you're about to do? Your mother, or-_

Ash laughed, "My mom? She'd freak out if she knew what I was about to do. The only ones that know about this are me, you, and Gary. I didn't even tell Pikachu," Ash glanced away, "...It was hard keeping things from him..."

 _Gary approves?_ Espurr asked, stunned.

"Approves? Nope, he didn't at all. He was very mad in fact, but he's stuck in Sinnoh, so he can't stop me," Ash looked at the Espurr, "I need to you check something for me, though I'm sure that I'm right..." Ash hesitated, "I think Clemont and Serena have been corrupted."

Now it was Espurr's turn to laugh, _Humans? Infected? No Ash, that's impossible! The Shadow is currently sealed, there's no way it could infect humans, at least, not yet._

Ash hesitated, "Seven years ago the Shadow managed to corrupt a whole swarm of Beedrill. It shouldn't have been that strong then, and if it's power does increase the closer we get to the day, then it wouldn't be an exaggeration for it to influence a human or two... Right?"

Espurr looked away, _...While the Beedrill incident was strange, I believe that wasn't a sign that the Shadow is getting stronger. The seal is powerful, the Shadow only has mild influences on this world. I believe when it attempted to attack the two girls that it simply saw an opportunity, and it threw everything it had at those Beedrill. If that is true, then that would only mean that the Shadow should be weaker from using all that energy._

Ash sighed, but didn't seem to believe the Espurr, "Here..." He held out a Pokeball, "You'll need this."

The Pokeball glowed with Psychic, and the Espurr brought it down into her paws, _So we're really doing this?_

"Yes Mew," Ash said, "And you're not changing my mind."

Mew sighed, shifting in her shiny Espurr form, _Let's get this over then, Ash Ketchum._

* * *

"Hi Pikachu!" Bonnie cried as Pikachu crested the hill, "Is Ash still waiting for his friend?"

Pikachu nodded, "Chu!" He told Bonnie, darting towards her. The little girl giggled as the Pikachu jumped and perched on her shoulder. Dedenne looked up from Bonnie's purse, making small noises of happiness.

"Hey, brother!" Bonnie cried, darting towards Clemont, "What are you making today?" Bonnie asked, looking at the strange invention her brother was putting together. Pikachu couldn't help but shiver as they approached Clemont, and he looked up at them. Instead of his light blue eyes, a pair of gray ones met their gaze. Pikachu supposed it could be just a trick of the light, but not even light could explain Clemont's cold attitude.

"I'm busy Bonnie. Go play somewhere else," Bonnie's face fell at these words, Clemont wasn't one to push her away. She looked away, use to this new persona her brother had suddenly put on, even if she had no idea where it had come from. Pikachu nuzzled her reassuringly, glad he wasn't the only one that noticed the changes.

"Hey, Pikachu," Serena asked, "Is Ash still at the bottom of the hill?" There was a false warmth in her voice. Pikachu didn't make eye contact, but nodded, at least Serena was trying to hide this strange change. A part of him felt heavy as he answered Serena's question, but it wasn't like Ash was in danger or anything, he had the rest of his team with him, "Wonderful!" Serena said, "I'm excited to meet this friend of his! He hasn't said much about her."

Pikachu sighed, nudging Bonnie, wanting to get away from Clemont and Serena. Ash was very strange when it came to discussing Rose, and even Lilly. Ash never told his friends about his little sister, he had even straight out told Bonnie and Clemont that he didn't have siblings when they first met. As far as Pikachu knew, the only ones that knew that Ash and Rose were related were Misty and Brock, and Ash had claimed that Rose was just a neighbor before he had told them the truth. Ash had been even more careful with the topic of Rose lately, not even telling everyone that he was meeting up with her until this morning, though Rose's visit had been planned for quite a while now.

"Come on Pikachu," Bonnie muttered, "Let's go play!" She grabbed Pikachu off of her shoulder, wandering over to another section of the hill, "I thought Clemont was going to be making lunch, now he's just messing with his stupid inventions again..." She muttered under her breath, clearly bitter, "What's he even going to do with that thing? It looks like it's designed to lift a Crustle!"

Pikachu shrugged, "Chu," He replied, thinking back on Ash's strange behavior today. Perhaps Ash had noticed the changes in Serena and Clemont, and that's why he had been so different. He had said he'd feel better if someone was with Bonnie, and he had asked him to protect Rose and Lilly... Ash was probably as worried as him.

Bonnie plopped herself on the ground, and began gathering wildflowers that were in bloom around her. Dedenne hopped out of his bag, helping Bonnie with her flower picking. Pikachu glanced around, they were on the hill side, about halfway down. He was sure he'd just need to climb a tree and he'd have a view of Clemont and Serena at the top, and Ash at the bottom. Maybe he could even see Rose coming down the road!

Pikachu glanced at Bonnie, who was now weaving the wildflowers together like Serena had taught her not long ago. Pikachu darted towards a tree, quickly scaling the tree and looking about. There was Ash, sitting at the bottom of the hill, yet... He seemed different. He was sitting up straight, looking up at the sky with no concern. He had looked so on edge moments ago! He held a single Pokeball in his hands, then he slipped it into his pocket, which only confused Pikachu- Ash kept his Pokeballs on his belt.

Pikachu looked down the road, but saw no signs of Rose. His ears fell back in disappointment, and he turned his gaze towards Clemont and Serena. Clemont seemed to have finished his invention, and was showing it off to Serena, who looked impatient. Though Pikachu wasn't too good with human tools, the invention seemed to be designed to move large objects. Serena said something, but Pikachu couldn't make it out. A frown crossed the electric mouse as he watched Serena and Clemont slowly move the invention near a large boulder, setting it up so the strange creation was facing it. Pikachu frowned, watching carefully, why did they want to move the boulder?

Pikachu did have to admit that it was a ridiculous sight, watching Clemont and Serena struggled to activate the device, then watching the machine struggle to move the boulder from the hill, but after years of being chased by the Team Rocket trio and their crazy inventions, Pikachu was now use to strange sights such as these. Slowly and steadily the boulder was slowly moved forward towards the edge of the steep hill. Pikachu's tail twitched, the large rock was going to be sent rolling down the hill right towards the main road, that most definitely wasn't safe. Pikachu eyed the path the boulder would be taking, eyes widening.

It would be heading straight at Ash.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu screamed towards his trainer as soon as the realization hit, "PIKAPI!" Bonnie looked up at him in concern just as the boulder was pushed free, tumbling down the hill. Pikachu saw Ash shift, and he knew that the boy had heard him. Why wasn't he moving? Or at least calling back to him?! Pikachu watched in a stunned horror as the boulder picked up speed, rushing right at Ash, who still hadn't moved. Ash had to have heard the crashing of the rock, there was no way he couldn't!

A desperation thundered in Pikachu's chest, but he was too far away to do anything. He could only sit up in the tree, watching as the boulder slammed right into his precious trainer, who didn't even flinch. A scream caught in Pikachu's throat, and he began to shake. No... No... _No!_

" _PIKAPI!"_ Pikachu screamed against, rushing down the tree. He winced as he slammed into the ground, and Bonnie had leapt to her feet, eyes wide.

"Pikachu, what's going on?" She asked, panicked, "I heard the crash, what happened? Why were you screaming-"

As much as Pikachu adored Bonnie, Ash was hurt. He cut off the blonde, racing away and darting down the hill. The little mouse faintly glowed silver with Quick Attack, picking up speed as he rushed forward. Pikapi was going to be okay... Ash had to be okay... He reached the bottom of the hill, quickly turning and raced towards where he had left Pikapi.

There he was, laying on the ground, the large boulder crushing him. Pikachu didn't even pause to wonder how the boulder had landed so perfectly on him, or where Ash's hat was, or why there was a lack of blood. He only leapt right at the boulder, tail turning metallic as he slammed an Iron Tail into the rock.

He slid back, but there was only cracks in the rock. Tears stung Pikachu's eyes, "Pikapi!" He cried, wanting to get a response, but his trainer didn't stir. This wasn't happening... This wasn't happening! He prepared another Iron Tail, and attacked the boulder once more. Ash would be okay... He just had to get the rock off of Ash, then everything would be alright...

Pikachu didn't noticed an Espeon lurking in the bushes, eyes narrowed suspiciously, two Eevees shivering in his shadow.

* * *

Rose took in a deep breath as she continued her way through down the hill-covered route. She found herself increasing her pace as the realisation settled in. She was going to see _Ash._ Not just a few minutes of him stopping by before he bolted off on some new journey, or through a simple video screen, but he was going to be face to face with her brother properly for the first time in ages. A faint pulse of happiness ran through her as she studied the route around her. Kalos was a beautiful region, much more lush and colorful compared to Kanto, though Kanto would always remain her favorite.

But it was the variety of new Pokemon that got to her, awe at seeing new creatures, and the pain as she thought back on one special Pokemon. She closed her eyes as Pika crossed her mind, she wished that she could have made this journey to see Ash with Pika by her side. She still had Pika's Pokeball with her, buried deep in her bag. It was too painful to look at, but it hurt just as much not to have it with her.

 _Focus,_ Rose told herself, _You got to be stronger than this!_

But that didn't change the fact that she wasn't ready to have another Pokemon by her side. Not just the fact that Pika deserved to be with her, but the fear of losing someone close to her once more. She lifted her gaze to the sky, trying to get her mind off of the painful topic. She was going to see Ash and Pikachu again, she only needed to focus on the positive right now.

"Pikapi!" A scream roared across the route, echoing between the many hills. Rose's heart skipped a beat, she knew that cry. It was a Pikachu, not just any Pikachu, but Ash's. It came from ahead of Rose, she began to run towards the cry. Rose didn't know what to expect, but the intense cry from Pikachu was enough to tell her that something was wrong, "PIKAPI!" The cry came again, louder this time, and Rose broke into a run, speeding around a bend in the path, _"PIKAPI!"_

"Pikachu-!" She called, but she quickly fell silent, coming to a quick stop at the sight before her. It was the one thing she would never want to see, and something she had never thought or imagined. She stared at the devastating view in front of her in disbelief. Lying at the foot of the path ahead of her was Ash's lifeless body, crushed beneath a boulder. Pikachu had just slammed an Iron Tail against the boulder, but it had barely made a dent. Pikachu went beside, nudging him, trying to wake him up while tears flowed down his face as he mourned his best friend.

"Pikapi!" Cried the poor mourning Pokemon, preparing another Iron Tail.

Once the shock of what she was witnessing passed, Rose raced over to Ash. "Ash, _Ash!"_ She cried to her brother, she knelt down on the ground next to him, she had no other words to say, only tears filling her eyes. She couldn't believe that it was happening… Ash wasn't breathing.

"Pikapichu!" Pikachu cried, racing over to her. He pointed up the hill, panicking and waving his arms, then back at Ash, "Pikapi!" He sobbed, "Pikachu pika Pikapi!" Rose's mind was racing, and she barely registered what the Pikachu was doing. She could only stare down at Ash's body.

 _No... Not again..._ She thought weakly. This wasn't happening, she couldn't be losing her brother now!

"Pikachu… you need to go and get help as fast as you can, Ash needs someone," Rose pleaded to Pikachu, not knowing what to do herself. They needed to get help... Pikachu took one last look at Ash, then glanced up the hill with a glare. He refocused his gaze on Rose, his eyes red raw and nodded, he raced off in search for someone to help.

On the side of the hill a young girl was watching, a small Dedenne in her arms. Bonnie was paralysed from fear, not believing what she had just seen. After a minute of watching Rose trying to shift the boulder off of Ash she quickly found herself running, her young mind to panicked to grasp what had just happened.

Rose was now all alone with Ash, tears falling down her face as she tried to move the boulder in vain. Like Pikachu, the shock and fear was too much for her to question how this boulder had fallen on him so perfectly, or why there didn't seem to be any blood on Ash.

"Pika, and now Ash," She whispered as the thought of a lifetime without seeing her brother dawned on her… _Could I have stopped this?_ Rose thought weakly, _"If I was only I had arrived quicker...?_

Rose kept trying to shift the rock, but she was helpless against the sheer weight and size of the stone, and she couldn't budge it an inch. She looked down the road, hoping for some sign of Pikachu's return. He should have stayed here with Ash instead of her, he could have done more...

After several minutes of flailing about, she fell to the ground in exhaustion. "Ash I'm sorry," she cried, "I am useless, why do I have to be so weak?" Rose had thought her world had already been broken... but today her world had shattered.

"Espe..." A quietly voice growled, snapping Rose out of her thoughts. She turned towards the hill, where a small purple creature was slinking out of the bushes, baring it's fangs. Rose stumbled to her feet as the Espeon began to shine as it prepared to use Quick Attack, then he raced towards Rose and slammed into her stomach. Rose stumbled back as her breath was knocked out of her, but she managed to stay on her feet.

"Why are… why are you attacking?" Rose asked, Pokemon usually didn't attack unless they felt threatened, and she had done nothing towards this Pokemon. The Espeon ignored her and began to prepare Swift and it twisted it body as stars began to swirl around his tail and were shot at the Rose, and she raised her hands to block the attack. Small cuts appeared along her arms. She slowly moved back, hoping that the Espeon would see that she didn't want a fight.

"Eon," The Espeon snarled, baring it's small fangs at Rose again, standing in front of a nearby bush. The fur on it's back was raised, and his red gem gleamed as he released a burst of psychic energy. The Confusion attack wasn't strong enough to lift Rose into the air, like it could with smaller objects, but it was powerful enough to force her to the ground.

Rose had no Pokemon on her, she was helpless against the Espeon. His gem gleamed again, as he prepared a Psybeam. He released the rainbow-colored beam as Rose as she stumbled to her feet, and she let out a cry as the psychic energy struck her. She fell to her knees, holding her head in pain, feeling the mental effects of psychic type attacks.

Rose managed to pry her eyes open, looking at the Espeon, "Stop..." She whispered, "Please, I don't mean a-any harm..."

The Espeon watched her, but simply prepared a Swift attack. Rose tried to stand, but she felt a stabbing pain of a headache rush through her mind, and she cringed. It didn't matter, she realized. Swift was too wide of a range of a move, it couldn't be dodged, so she simply braced herself for the attack.

"Ivy, Aerial Ace, let's go!" A voice echoed from down the path, and a small green shape sped past Rose.

"Vee!" The familiar creature cried, jumping into the air, the leaf on her tail glowing light blue. The Snivy slashed the Espeon with the flying type move, before leaping back, ready for another move. The Espeon stumbled, recovering from the attack.

"Espe..."

"Sni!" The Snivy hissed.

"Slam, now!" The voice ordered, and two vines shot out of the Snivy's neck, wrapping around the Espeon's legs, slamming him to the ground. Someone was next to Rose, two hands on her shoulder, "Rose, are you okay? Rose?"

Rose couldn't believe her ears... She shouldn't be here, she should be back in Kanto, "Lilly?" She asked meekly, eyes still closed due to her headache, which was quickly fading though, and she cracked her eyes open slightly, in time to see her blonde friend smiling down at her.

"You know you can't get far without me catching up," Lilly said, helping Rose to her feet. Lilly hadn't seemed to notice Ash yet, only focused on the Espeon that had been attacking her friend, "Vine Whip, Ivy!" Lilly ordered, and Ivy dodged a Psybeam, slapping her vines against the Espeon. Lilly hesitated, then pulled another Pokeball out of her bag, which Rose stared at, since when did Lilly have another Pokemon?

"Is that-?"

"Here," Lilly said, pressing it into her hands, "That Espeon is clearly stronger than Ivy. Help us out, please."

Rose stared at the Pokeball in her hands, not sure of what to think. But the pain of Ash's death, combined with the shock was Lilly's sudden arrival was enough for her not to question the Pokeball, they just needed to fight back. Rose threw up the Pokeball, and it opened with a burst of white light, a small orange creature taking sharp in front of her.

"Tor!" The Torchic called, ruffling her small yellow wings. A small gray-blue stone hung around her neck from a pink band, and the fire type looked around. Her eyes fell on the battle, then she glanced back at Rose, "Chic!" She cried.

"H-help them," Rose whispered, "Please."

The Torchic gave Rose a single nod, then darted forward, claws glowing. At first Rose thought it was a Scratch attack, but when the Torchic raked them across the Espeon's face she realized that it had to be a stronger attack to do that much damage, perhaps Slash?

The Torchic slid back, releasing a Flame Burst from her beak. The ball of fire hit Espeon with explosive force, send small embers flying in several directions, which Ivy had to dodge to avoid getting hit.

The path flooded with thick black smoke, Lily and Rose shielded their eyes from the blast not knowing the results of the blow. The Pokemon held tight to the ground as the force of the impact sent a strong gust of wind in their direction.

The smoke began to clear seconds later, the path in front of them was practically empty, the Espeon fleeing down the trail. Lily and Rose looked around thinking Espeon was trying to do a sneak attack but he was gone.

Suddenly Rose felt faint, her face went pale, she held her hand to her head "I don't feel to go-" her knees suddenly gave way, as she collapsed to the floor hitting her head on the path.

Lily turned around seeing Rose collapse "ROSE!" she ran to her aid.

* * *

 **We hope you enjoyed it, what's next in store for Lily and Rose.**


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